Submitting a book proposal

• What questions triggered this book idea? (please list the actual burning questions people asked.)
• Has it developed from your own teaching? Is it based on your own course or workshop? Research? We want to know the background to your work.
• Why do you think this book is needed?  What needs does it address?
• What are the book’s overall key themes? Please make this two or three sentences, if you can.
• Sumarise the book in 200 words max.
• List up to six particular features of the book and how these will benefit the reader or user. Please cover topicality if the subject is controversial.
• Who do you identify as the primary readership of this book
• Are there secondary markets we should consider? Please be as specific as possible.
• What makes your book original and marketable? What is the unique selling point?
• Is this a professional level book (research or academic) or a course book? If so, specify which profession/course, and what level of ability it will assume of the reader. Please be as specific as possible.
• Book plan of contents – please be as complete as possible
• Is this a main text for a course, a workbook or a book supporting a course or workhop? If relevant, please supply details.
• Do you know of courses on which this book might be recommended?
• Who might endorse the book?
• Suggestions for a writer of the Foreword?
• Who are the recognised authorities on the book’s subject whom you believe might be willing to read the manuscript and give a clearance reviews?  Write endorsements for publication, including the cover and endorsing ‘blurbs’ and reviews? Please include contact details if known and indicate whether the person is known to you personally. Please give the names and addresses of two people whom you respect as qualified to comment on the book proposal.
• Are there any organisations (or even types of organisations, such as local study groups) you believe will want to use this book (in bulk purchases) as programme resource material (with names of contacts if known)?
• What makes it suitable for Hawthorn Press?

• What other similar and competing books are there?
• How do these competing books compare with yours?

Should your submission be accepted, these are some of the ways in which Hawthorn Press will market your book. We will (as appropriate):

• Organise the sending out and following up of review copies to journals, magazines, newspapers, bloggers etc.
• Promote your book on our website and social media, and in our catalogue and newsletter.
• Share a short video of you talking about your book
• Share reviews with you and with our distributors.
• Design promotional postcards for you to distribute – this will be done after the cover is finalised, and we will check the design with you.
• Where appropriate, set up feature articles in relevant magazines etc (this is likely to mean that we set up the article, then put you in contact directly with the publication to liaise about your interview/feature).
• We will ask you to write a 500 word blog post about your book for our website – this can be tailored to fit your book (it may be about how you wrote it, why you wrote it, a craft extract etc).

You can assist us in marketing your book in the following ways (you do not have to do ALL of these):

• Giving out promotional postcards wherever appropriate.
• Announcing the publication of your book on whatever social media platforms you may use, as well as your website or blog (if you have one).
• Telling all your friends and network contacts about it and encouraging them to leave reviews (let us know if you would like us to help you draft some email publicity).
• Including a link to the book in your email signature.
• Sharing reviews.
• Writing a 750 word article about you, your work and the book that we will use to interest journals, magazines etc.
• Please make sure we have a good, high quality jpeg portrait of you.
• Please answer the following questions to the best of your ability:
  • What organisations, professional institutes, networks, websites, bloggers would be interested in this book?
  • Please provide full contact details for any journals, magazines, newspapers or bloggers that may be interested in reviewing your book. Please aim to include: Name of publication, name of contact (pref. editor or review editor), email, phone, address.

A note on launches

Hawthorn Press does not usually organise launches for our books, instead preferring to link in with already existing events (such as workshops). If you wish to have a launch, you would need to do the organising for it. We will support you by providing stock for your launch, promoting it through our contacts and on our social media, and given enough notice (and depending on where the launch is being held) may be able to come and physically help. If you are organising a launch, please let us know as soon as you have details so that we can ensure you have books available and that we can give you all the support possible.

• Please tell us about your qualifications for writing this book. How have you earned authority in your field? You can include experience, qualifications, awards, followers on social media – anything you think may be relevant.
• How many people do you meet annually at conferences, workshops, and events you may lecture or appear at? How many copies could you sell directly via such channels? How many potentially interested people are on your email contacts?
• Do you have any media contacts who would be interested in this book? Do you have a following on any social media platforms?
• Have you written any books or articles before? Tell us about any relevant publications or works in progress. Please tell us about any media appearances, including radio and TV. Do you have current contacts who might help promote your work?
• Do you have experience in media interviews? Lectures and work programmes? Acknowledged expertise in the subject matter?
• Are you a member of any relevant organisations or associations? Please provide contact details of editors of newsletters etc so we can send them review copies.
• Please write about 200 words about yourself – include birthplace, educational background, relevant formative experiences and any details you think will be interesting to your readers.
• Please send us a copy of your CV.

Please ensure you include the following in your submission:

• An introduction and full table of contents/book plan.
• The first two chapters of your book.
• Filled out author questionnaire.
• Your proposed schedule.
• Your author biography and CV.
• A stamped, self-addressed envelope of the appropriate value for the manuscript’s return.