The first time I heard the term book proposal, I quickly changed the subject. I didn't even want to know what it entailed because I wasn't going to write one. I had a completed manuscript and a cover letter. What more could a publisher want?

Since that day many years ago, I have written a dozen or more book proposals. I've learned that a well-designed book proposal is an excellent marketing tool. It gives a publisher the information he/she needs in order to evaluate your project. But it also makes your life easier when you use it as a guide to writing your book.

Probably the best thing about writing a book proposal is that during the process, you'll find out if you truly have a book at all. As Mary Embree points out in her book, The Author's Toolkit (Seaview Publishing, 2000), there are at least six major things you can learn about your project as you go through the steps of developing a book proposal. Here is her list in condensed form.

You will learn:

• how to focus on your subject
• how to describe your book to others
• how to organize your material
• whether you have a salable idea
• how to sell it yourself
• what your competition is.

I suggest writing the book proposal even before sending query letters to potential publishers. And if you plan to self-publish, definitely write a book proposal, first.

For this article, we're focusing on the nonfiction book proposal. While publishers and agents sometimes request proposals for novels, they are not quite the same. According to Embree, a fiction proposal doesn't have as many parts. She says, "The proposal for a novel might have only the title page, a synopsis and an author bio."

Here's what goes into a nonfiction book proposal:

Cover Letter. Write a formal letter on your letterhead that identifies your package as a book proposal. Post your title here. List the parts you've included (Synopsis, Promotional Ideas, About the Author and so forth). And give a projected completion or delivery date for the manuscript. If the book is finished, say so.

Title Page. On this page, center your title using an attractive (but readable) font in 14-point type or larger. The authors' names go under the title in smaller letters. "Your title should be provocative and succinct," says Embree. "Short titles are usually preferred by publishers and they are easier for potential readers to remember." But she suggests, "You can add a subtitle if you think that your short title doesn't tell enough about the book."

Some authors write a brief description of their book on the title page. If your title and subtitle adequately describe your book, however, this is probably not necessary.

I also include my projected word count at the bottom of the title page. How do you determine your word count? I base this on each individual publisher's requirements. Hopefully, before sending a query letter (usually the first step in marketing a manuscript), you'll request the publisher's Guidelines for Writers. Your proposed word count should be within their standards. And by the time you complete your book proposal, you should have a fairly clear idea as to how many words you can actually deliver.

Synopsis or Overview. The synopsis is the meat of your book proposal. This is where you describe your story or the theme and purpose of your book. If you can't write a one or two-page synopsis, you'd better rethink your idea. According to Embree, "The synopsis should have a beginning, middle and end, just as your book does. Tell how your book opens, what it is about and how it ends. You may want to give some of the highlights, specific events, dialogue or unknown facts."

How important is the synopsis or overview? According to Jeff Herman and Deborah Adams, authors of Write the Perfect Book Proposal, "The overview can open-or close-the door for you." And they challenge authors to consider what they would say if they had five minutes face-to-face with a publisher. Put that kind of energy, effort and perfection into your synopsis.

Enhancements. As far as I know, this page is of my own creation. This is where I list the professional experts I'll be working with on this project and their affiliations. For my Creative Grandparenting book, for example, I listed about a dozen agencies and individuals that I had already contacted. In my Fatherhood and Fathering book proposal, I listed nearly thirty. And I mentioned here that I planned to provide a photograph of a father and his child for the beginning of each chapter.

If you plan illustrations for your book or have an idea for a specific design, you might provide samples here for the publisher

Promotional Ideas. Today, publishers need to know that the author is willing to help promote his or her book. If you're affiliated with a large organization related to your book topic, say so. If you are a skilled public speaker, mention that. I know a cookbook author who landed a publisher because of a commitment from a national kitchen store to carry her book.

You should have plenty of ideas about who will buy this book and how it should be marketed. Share these ideas with potential publishers.

Market Analysis. For this section, you will research books similar to yours and explain how yours will differ. What makes your book stand out from the rest?

About the Author. Here, you will offer your bio. Include your writing experience and education as well as your involvement and/or expertise related to your proposed book. I introduce myself as a working writer with 29 years experience writing for publication. I list some of the magazines I've written for-especially those relating to my topic. I also list my published books. And I include a list of books in the works. Sometimes a publisher will ask to see something from this list.

Give the publisher every reason to be interested in you and to trust you as the author of this book.

Chapter Outline. Here's where you really find out if you have a book. List each chapter by title and briefly describe the proposed content. If you can't outline 8 or 10 chapters, you probably don't have a book. Either think smaller-an article or pamphlet, or do more research.

Sample Chapters. Often, but not always, the proposal includes sample chapters. Some publishers will specify they want to see anywhere from one to three sample chapters. Generally, you want to send Chapter One and the chapter that you feel is most powerful or most important.

A book proposal is a necessity in today's publishing climate. So you might as well bite the bullet and decide to write one for your manuscript. Once you've broken through the mystery of your first book proposal, you'll be surprised how easily the others will go together and how vital this proposal is to your project.