Writing The Novel Proposal

For months, maybe years, you’ve worked diligently to craft your novel. You’ve written and revised and revised some more until finally – your novel is finished. Your next step is to find a home for your masterpiece. But just how, exactly, do you go about finding an agent or editor, and – even more important – getting one of them to say “yes”? If your goal is commercial publication, you need to know how to approach the market the way successful novelists do – with a professionally presented novel proposal.

Work with a published novelist to develop a proposal package, including query/cover letter and synopsis. You will also revise and polish the opening chapters of your novel (up to 12,000 words) with your instructor’s feedback. In addition, you’ll identify appropriate potential editors and agents to send your proposal when you’re finished.

Course level:  Advanced

Required Books:

Workshop Length: 14 weeks

Tuition: $425.00 ($382.50 for VIP)

Start Date: View Writing The Novel Proposal Course Schedule

Course Structure
This workshop will consist of seven two-week sessions. Each session will include online lectures (text based) and associated textbook reading assignments, along with a writing assignment specifically related to your novel, which will be submitted to the instructor for private review at the end of the first week of the session. During the second week of each session, work will be posted for group critique. Throughout the workshop you will be able to participate in asynchronous lecture discussion and group critique sessions, and encouraged to take advantage of ongoing informal discussions and posted self-directed writing exercises. (2.8 CEUs)

You will learn:

  • How the publishing process works
  • What literary agents do, and how to find the right agent for you and your novel
  • The components of a successful query letter
  • The difference between a synopsis and an outline, and when to use each
  • How to format your manuscript for submission
  • How to secure publication – including what to do if you are offered representation by an agent, and what to expect when you’re a client.

Who should take this course:

  • Fiction writers who have completed their novel
  • Graduates of Advanced Novel Writing Workshop
  • Novelists who are ready to develop a proposal package to submit for publication

Register for Writing The Novel Proposal Workshop

Course Outline

Session One: The Publishing Path, Step by Step

  • How the publishing process works
  • The novel proposal at a glance

Writing Assignment: A narrative summary of your novel idea that includes the genre, a working title and a one- to two-paragraph description (maximum 500 words); Determine whether your novel is more suitable for a commercial publisher or small press, and use the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market to pick two to three appropriate publishers and explain your decisions (250 words or less).

Session Two: Seeking and Selecting a Literary Agent

  • What literary agents do
  • Finding the right agent for you and your novel
  • The question of fees

Writing Assignment: Using the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market, identify up to five agents who are suitable to represent your work and explain how you made your decisions (maximum 500 words); A “pitch” for your novel (250 words or less).

Session Three: Querying Your Way to Publication

  • The components of a successful query letter
  • Examples of query letters that work—and those that don’t
  • Query letter advice from published novelists

Writing Assignment: Two query letters—one targeted to a publisher on your list from Session One, and one to an agent on your list from Session Two (maximum 500 words each).

Session Four: The Synopsis and the Outline

  • The difference between a synopsis and an outline, and when to use each

Writing Assignment: A synopsis of your novel (maximum 1,500 words).

Session Five: Other Elements of the Novel Proposal Package

  • Cover letters
  • Table of contents
  • Author biography
  • Endorsements
  • Acknowledgements
  • Dedication
  • Epigraph
  • Foreword
  • Preface
  • Proper manuscript format

Writing Assignment: Two cover letters—one for an unsolicited proposal and one for a requested proposal (maximum 250 words each); Table of contents for your proposal (maximum 250 words), plus the opening chapters of your novel(maximum 3,000 words).

Session Six: Securing Publication

  • What to do if you are offered representation by an agent
  • What to know before you sign a contract
  • What to expect once you become the client of a literary agent
  • What to do if things don’t work out

Writing Assignment: The next 3,000 words of your novel, or a revision of the chapters you submitted for Session Five.

Session Seven: Keep Writing

  • Workshop wrap-up

Writing Assignment: Additional sample chapters from your novel, either picking up where you left off with the Session Six assignment, or starting from the beginning and incorporating revisions (maximum 6,000 words total).