Crafting a book proposal is the essential first step in writing an academic or nonfiction book. Beyond helping editors and agents understand your project, the proposal functions as a blueprint that clarifies your argument, audience, structure, and contribution. After writing four academic books and securing representation from a literary agent, I’ve learned how the proposal accelerates the entire writing process. Here’s why the proposal matters—and how it sets you up for a stronger, clearer book.

Your research identity is more than a topic or method—it’s the story your scholarship tells. Learn how clarifying it shapes your writing, book development, and academic career.

A reflective, experience-based guide to the five challenges scholars face when transforming a dissertation into a book—and how to navigate them with clarity, structure, and momentum.

Learn how to transform your dissertation into a compelling book with structured academic book coaching. Discover practical steps to reframe your argument, engage a broader audience, and create a book proposal that sparks curiosity.

Learn how busy professionals can turn their dissertations into publishable books with academic book coaching, strategic planning, and realistic writing systems.