From Idea to Book Proposal

Everyone pretends they are straightforward, but I'll say it: book proposals are hard. The proposal is a hybrid between a business plan and an artist's statement. Mostly, the proposal is a sales document: yours should appeal to agents, editors, and especially the marketing people. An effective proposal reflects your work and goals and gives a potential partner (agent, editor, etc.) a clear pitch, including who the audience is, how you would go about marketing and promotion, and why YOU are the person who must write this.