The proposal is the audition. Build one agents take seriously.
A submission-ready package that answers the three questions every agent asks: why this book, why now, why you.
Built by someone who has sat on both sides of the page: 113+ books authored, 54+ ghostwritten, member of the Nonfiction Authors Association and the Alliance of Independent Authors.
Why does a book proposal come first?
Most authors get the order backward. They write the entire book first, then discover that agents reject it in the opening paragraph because the proposal underneath it never made a case. For nonfiction, the proposal is the document that earns representation and a deal. The manuscript comes after.
A proposal has to answer three questions before anything else: why this book, why now, and why you. Every section in the package exists to answer those three convincingly. I know what an acquisitions editor is looking for when they decide whether a book is worth a contract, because I’ve built that case for clients across business, memoir, and technical nonfiction.
Proposal pricing
Book proposal development is a flat fee starting at $15,000, quoted for your project up front so you know the full cost before any work begins. The fee scales with the scope your book needs.
That covers the complete, submission-ready package: query letter, title and subtitle development, discovery interviews, the overview, the annotated chapter outline, two polished sample chapters, a spec sheet, your author bio, platform analysis, marketing and promotion plan, and competitive title and market analysis.
The fee includes one complete round of revisions before the proposal goes to an agent. I quote any revisions after that up front, so you always know the cost before work begins. Most proposals don’t need them.
What is in the book proposal package?
Eleven components, each built to answer why this book, why now, and why you. Nothing invented, all of it mined from your interviews.
Discovery interviews
I interview you in depth to extract the concept, the central argument, your expertise, and the evidence that you’re the right person to write this book. The raw material every other section is built from.
Title and subtitle
A working title and subtitle developed and tested. In nonfiction the title carries the promise and the subtitle the specifics; the proposal has to lead with one that already works.
The overview
The heart of the proposal: the hook, the core argument, the stakes, and the case for why this book matters now. The section an agent reads first, and it decides whether the rest gets read.
Annotated chapter outline
A chapter-by-chapter breakdown so an editor sees the full arc, structure, and payoff without reading manuscript. The blueprint that proves the book is fully thought through.
Two sample chapters
Two polished, publication-ready chapters that prove the book can be written at a professional level and the voice matches the promise. Agents need to see execution.
Spec sheet
The book’s vital statistics: word count, format, delivery timeline, and special features. The practical details editors need to picture the finished book and slot it into a list.
About the author
Your bio rewritten as a credentials argument. It establishes your authority and your right to write this specific book for this specific audience.
Platform analysis
A documented assessment of your reach: audience, list, social, speaking, media, standing. Agents want to know who you can sell to on day one. This quantifies it instead of asserting it.
Marketing and promotion plan
Your concrete plan to sell the book, with the assets and commitments you bring. Publishers expect authors to drive sales; this shows them, in specifics, that you will.
Competitive title analysis
The comparable books already selling, how yours is different and better, who buys them, and how large that audience is. Agents look specifically for this section.
Query letter
The one-page letter that goes to agents first and decides whether they ask to see the proposal at all. It distills the hook, your credentials, and the market into a few tight paragraphs.
What can a book proposal do, and what can’t it do?
A proposal service that promises representation without acknowledging what a document can and can’t control is selling something that doesn’t exist. Here is the map.
A strong proposal does
Make the business case for your book. Position you against the competition. Document your platform and reach. Prove you can execute through sample chapters. Give an agent everything they need to pitch you to editors. Open the door to representation.
A proposal can’t
Guarantee an agent or publisher says yes. Manufacture a platform you don’t have. Sell a novel (fiction is sold on a finished manuscript). Replace genuine expertise or a real audience. Force a deal in a category with no market.
I won’t build a proposal I don’t believe an agent will take seriously. If your concept or platform isn’t ready, I’ll tell you before you spend any money.
How this fits with the other services
Book Proposal (this page) sells your nonfiction book to agents and publishers. It makes the case for the book; it doesn’t write the book.
Full ghostwriting is the complete manuscript, written for you. In traditional publishing the order is deliberate: the proposal sells the book, then ghostwriting writes it on contract. Most clients on this path do both, in sequence. Self-publishing and not querying agents? Skip the proposal and go straight to ghostwriting.
Book Discovery Intensive decides what book you should write before you build a proposal. The right start if the concept isn’t locked yet. Its fee credits toward a full ghostwriting engagement within 60 days.
Book Coaching guides you through writing the book yourself, in ten-hour blocks. For authors who want to do the writing with support instead of hand it off.
Why hire a professional for it
I have authored 113+ books under my own name and ghostwritten 54+ for clients across business, memoir, and technical nonfiction. I’m a member of the Nonfiction Authors Association and the Alliance of Independent Authors. My clients have raised more than $30 million in venture capital on the strength of their books, and several have landed $5,000 keynote engagements after publishing.
I’ve sat on both sides of the page: the author who has to make the argument, and the ghostwriter who builds it for someone else. A proposal is an argument. I know how to win it. See my case studies and ghostwriting service.
About Richard Lowe
Richard Lowe is a professional ghostwriter and bestselling author. He has authored 113+ books and ghostwritten 54+ more for executives, founders, coaches, and public figures. His clients have used their books to raise over $30 million in venture capital, land a TEDx invitation, and secure deals with traditional publishers. His own book How to Manage a Consulting Project was used as required reading in a course at Purdue University's Krannert School of Management.
His current lead book, The Ghostwriting Advantage, is the comprehensive guide to hiring a ghostwriter. He also authored the bestselling Focus on LinkedIn and the publishing-journey trilogy: Make a Living as a Self-Published Author, Publish Your Book, and Sell Your Books. He served as Technical Editor and Contributing Author on Cyberheist, the cybersecurity book by KnowBe4 founder Stu Sjouwerman. His ongoing series include Enemies of You (nonfiction cultural commentary) and the Victorian fiction series, contemporary reimaginings of classic Victorian science fiction by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.
Before becoming a full-time ghostwriter, Richard spent 33 years in enterprise technology, including 20 years as Director of Computer Operations at Trader Joe's, where he managed infrastructure across 400+ stores. He hosts three interview podcasts: Leaders and Their Stories, Author Talks, and Conversations With Influencers, and has appeared as a guest on 100+ podcasts including The Chris Voss Show.
Want to explore all my ghostwriting insights? Visit the Ultimate Ghostwriting hub.
Based in Clearwater, Florida, serving Tampa, St. Petersburg, Palm Harbor, Largo, Safety Harbor, Pinellas and Polk counties, all of Florida, and authors everywhere remotely.
Is a professional book proposal worth it?
Proposal clients face the traditional-publishing gauntlet, and the doubts that come with it.
The practical questions
Cost, what is included, and how it fits the publishing path.
Go deeper
Build a proposal agents take seriously
Tell me about your book. I’ll tell you whether the concept is ready for agents and what it takes to build the proposal that gets you there. No pitch.
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