Writing a book? If you are like most people, you start with a blank page and write your entire manuscript. According to author and acquisitions editor Terry Whalin, your approach is backwards. About 80 to 90% of nonfiction books are sold from a book proposal. This mysterious document called a proposal contains many elements that will never appear in your manuscript—yet these details are critical to publishing executives who make the decision about publishing or rejecting your project.
