Proposal Bootcamp
November 20, 2022 2023-03-14 18:14Proposal Bootcamp
MEMOIRS SELL WITH PROPOSALS...
OVERVIEW
AUDIENCE
COMP TITLES
BLURBS & ENDORSEMENTS
PLATFORM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SYNOPSIS
HOT ESSAYS
Start your journey to publication.
Prepare for Launch!
Still writing? A proposal maps your path to the end of the book.
Is Proposal Bootcamp Right for Me?
- If you want to traditionally publish or self-publish
- If you're getting rejections for "not enough platform" or "I don't see a market for this book."
- If you want to see if your idea is marketable BEFORE writing the book
- Memoirists & Narrative Nonfiction writers
- Essayists working on a collection or memoir-in-essays
- Academics, Historians & Journalists writing mass-market books
- YA, Middle Grade or Children's NONFICTION writers
- BUT NOT IF...
- You're writing Fiction
- You don't have time for "homework"
Discover what makes your book WORK.
BOOTCAMP SCHEDULE
Gather information
Download the PDF workbook with guidelines and forms.
- Orient yourself with the Memoir Proposal Template
- Brainstorm specific elements of your EXISTING platform (you’ll be surprised how much you already have!)
- Starting listing potential comp titles
- List potential blurbers—with information on who to consider
- Rough audience demographics (no sociology required!)
Proposals 101 – 12-3:30PM EASTERN TIME
- Learn WHY & HOW your proposal will be used by agents, editors & publishers
- Discover what to showcase about yourself & your book—is your key concept marketable?
- Write/revise About the Author
- Write/revise Chapter Summaries & Synopsis
- Learn what makes great comp titles, how to find them & how to present them within your proposal
- Discover the magic of comp AUTHORS—and how to get close to the people you want to be shelved next to
- First pages check-in: will your sample chapters suck in the agents & readers you want?
- Live-editing throughout to see what’s working in others’ pages—and apply it to your own
- Half-hour lunch break
All About Audience – 12-3:30PM EASTERN TIME
- Explore your demographics
- Discover your true platform–and how to connect with your audience NOW
- Learn whether essays, OpEds or other publications will support your book
- Write/revise Audience & Platform
- Write/revise Marketing & Promotion
- Write/revise Blurbs & Endorsements
- Write/Revise Overview (it will be so much easier now that you know what to show off!)
- Live-editing throughout to see what’s working in others’ pages–and apply it to your own
- Half-hour break for lunch
The Finish Line
You may finish your whole proposal in our time together! But our actual goal is 60-80%.Â
You’ll end Bootcamp with:
- A strong start on every element of your proposal
- Some elements ready for revision/polishing
- Some elements done and ready to go!
- A clear plan for moving forward and finishing your proposal by your chosen deadline
Need more help?
A limited number of add-on services will be available.- Full proposal review –
$585sorry, sold out An extensive review of your book proposal, including line-editing the proposal and identifying areas to strengthen; big-picture feedback on your sample chapters, the viability of your book idea and potential markets. - Big-picture feedback on sample chapters up to 7500 words –
$235sorry, sold out. Comments and editing suggestions throughout, with 2-3 pages of line edits showing how to apply the feedback. - Line editing of Synopsis or Overview (2 rounds) – $125, two still available
Allison K Williams
I'm excited about Memoir Proposal Bootcamp.
Why? Because I love seeing writers discover new wisdom within their own work and share it with readers who need their words. I love that you'll never have to dance on TikTok—and showing what you can do instead. And I love how the power of group work at a specific time with specific tasks helps us make our best work FAST.
I've edited proposals and coached authors to sales with Penguin Random House, Mantle, Knopf, Spencer Hill, university & literary presses and successful self-publishing, and I always over-deliver (#FirehoseMe). This time I'm telling you when you sign up: Memoir Proposal Bootcamp delivers everything I can give an author ready to work intensely to make big progress in compressed time.
Proposals are intimidating and lots of work. But with the right knowledge, information, and guidance from a seasoned publishing professional, you're going to finish yours.
Your Answers
Proposal Bootcamp is a focused, supported weekend with a publishing professional to plan, structure and write (most of!) your book proposal.
With guided advance preparation, you’ll have the information your proposal needs.
Two days of live-on-Zoom classes take you step-by-step through writing an agent-grabbing, publisher-friendly proposal. Classes include teaching time, live-editing time & focused writing time.
You’ll discover your true audience and unique platform, so instead of shouting into the void of social media, you’ll be talking to your real readers.
You’ll take home a specific plan to finish and polish the remainder of your proposal. Optional support groups will work together to get it done–fast!
Plan to spend 2-5 hours in advance preparation. This will be a mix of thinking time, reading time, live research & internet research. You can download your workbook & get started right after registration.
Live classes run Saturday & Sunday April 1-2, 2023 from 11AM-2:30PM US EASTERN TIME, with a half-hour break for lunch.
Each class day, you will almost certainly want to spend another 1-2 hours on proposal revision & additional research.
After Memoir Proposal Bootcamp, you’ll need additional time for revising, polishing & working on your sample chapters. This will vary based on whether you started with a draft proposal, finished or partial manuscript, both, or neither.
Nope! You don’t even need a started book. Proposal Bootcamp is a great opportunity to think through the marketability of your idea, too.
If your book is in-progress, Proposal Bootcamp can influence your next draft towards a sellable final manuscript.
If your book is finished, we’ll help you avoid the dreaded “not enough platform” or “I don’t see a market” rejections–and give straight-up feedback on the market prospects for your work.
Self-publishing, small press & hybrid authors must identify your true audience & how to reach them. Your proposal will guide your manuscript revisions to reach that audience. The demographic data, comps, blurb lists & supporting publication ideas serve as a blueprint for your marketing plans.Â
You’ve got a head start! We’ll make sure your time is well-spent, with tools & insights to revise & polish a proposal that will sell your book.
Each day includes teaching time, focused writing time & live-editing time. You’ll learn about a proposal element, see it in action & immediately apply the tools to your own work.
Zoom sessions can be accessed through any web browser, or you can dial in on your phone.
Pages for live-editing should be submitted as Microsoft Word doc or docx, so that Allison can use Track Changes to show suggested revisions.
ALL CLASSES WILL BE RECORDED. You’ll be able to access the replays for 60 days, starting about 1 hour after each class finishes.
Can’t make it live? You can still watch & ask questions on the recorded videos for 60 days.
You can volunteer to share pages for live-editing, when Allison shares her screen while showing line edits & editorial feedback. Live-edited pages are returned with the edits shown in Track Changes. There won’t be time for everyone who volunteers, but as she live-edits, Allison will identify revisions everyone can make in their own pages.
Short, structured breakout room time will allow you to share elements of your proposal with other writers.
For in-depth feedback (& a guaranteed slot) consider adding on a full proposal review, big-picture edit of sample chapters, or line-editing of your synopsis. Pricing & details are available when you register.
Memoir Proposal Bootcamp is an actively anti-racist space. Allison is happy to identify microaggressions & inadvertent/ignorant missteps–& how to fix them–so that writers who want to do better can enthusiastically do so. Allison is aware of resources & audiences for many minoritized communities & will actively connect you to anything she can.
Live-on-Zoom classes include closed captions; the video recordings will include captions & transcripts.
If you use a screen reader, let us know & we’ll send the workbook in text-only format. Slides include pictures that will be described. Allison reads all slide text aloud.
Being on camera/mic is optional.
Need other accommodations to get the full Bootcamp experience? Let us know! We’d love to deliver what you need.
Probably next year. But if you can’t make it live, you can still watch & ask questions on the recorded videos for 60 days.
Payments can be made by PayPal/credit card, Venmo, Zelle, direct deposit, Canadian Interac/eTransfer, or wire transfer.
Payment in full is due at time of registration.
We aren’t able to offer refunds on Bootcamps. But life happens! If you can’t make it live, you’ll still be able to watch & ask questions on the recorded lessons for 60 days, or you can transfer your registration to a writer friend.
Email Allison@RebirthYourBook.com or get in touch on Facebook (Allison K Williams) or Twitter (@guerillamemoir).
