WRITING WORKSHOPĀ WITHĀ HEIDI HESS SAXTON
The Seven-Second Book Proposal
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A Workshop for Aspiring Authors of (Non-Fiction) Catholic Books
No cost to attend. A free-will offering may be given upon signup.
Did you know that it takes about seven seconds for a potential reader to decide whether or not to buy a book? Seven seconds .. the time it takes to glimpse the title, author's name and bio, back cover copy, and maybe the table of contents. Perhaps not surprisingly, it doesn't take much longer for an editor to read a query and decide whether to ask for more.
In this workshop, we will explore what it takes to craft a well-written proposal -- a tool that will intrigue your editor (we hope), and guide you to write the best book possible! We will talk about seven key components of any good proposal:
- Working title and subtitle
- Keynote and description ("elevator pitch")
- Author bio sketch (and social media "footprint")
- Your network village ("endorsements" and "influencers")
- Competitive titles (study the market!)
- Market plan
- Table of Contents (the development "puzzle")
- BONUS: The writing sample
In this workshop, Heidi Hess Saxton will share how writing a strong proposal can feel a bit like cooking Thanksgiving dinner:
It demands a lot of attention to detail, leaves people wanting more the next day ... and is devoured in a lot less time than it takes to make it!
ABOUT HEIDI HESS SAXTON
A publishing veteran with thirty years experience on both sides of the editor's desk, Heidi Saxton is senior acquisitions editor at Ave Maria Press and editor of The Ave Prayer Book for Catholic Mothers.
You can find her online at "A Life on the Road Less Traveled" (heidisaxton.com.)
Sign Up for the Workshop Today
No cost to attend. Free-will offerings will be accepted.
All attendees will have access to a downloadable sample proposal from bestselling author Sarah Christmyer, the general editor of the Living the Word Catholic Women's Bible and author of Becoming Women of the Word.
