Celebrate Nonfiction

Exploring the Joy of Nonfiction Reading and Writing

Between the Lines: The Nonfiction Proposal by Patricia Newman

Most
people imagine middle-grade and young adult fiction authors tapping on laptops,
teasing sparks of creativity from their imaginations. Would it surprise you to
learn that image also applies to MG and YA nonfiction authors? Not only as we
write our manuscripts, but as we craft our proposals. I’ve written five
nonfiction books for Millbrook Press/Lerner, and each one required a proposal.

Much
like an offer of marriage, the proposal is the nonfiction author’s figurative
bended knee to convince an editor that our amazing new idea would make a
lasting impression in the kidlit market. And because authors are the ones doing
the proposing, we’re a bundle of nerves (and doubts) as we struggle to craft
the perfect pitch for our new book.

All
books begin with an idea we’re passionate about that will lead us on a hunt for
primary and secondary sources in places such as dusty libraries, family photo albums
or diaries, zoos, scientists’ labs, obscure university departments, polluted
waterways, or even abroad. Hundreds of hours of research go into each
nonfiction book for kids.

But for
the proposal, many of us rely on only 10-plus hours of research, the nonfiction
author’s equivalent of the highlight reel. The trick is to find the right
balance between time and risk. Many proposals take a long time to sell. Some never
sell. We want to do enough research to find the project’s heart, but not so
much that we write the entire book on spec (without a contract).

A
successful proposal includes content-specific knowledge, but also the ability
to envision a final product that will pass muster with the editorial and
marketing departments of publishing houses.

According
to Jodi Wheeler-Toppen, the
hardest part of proposal writing is “narrowing down all the different ways you could do the book to present one
coherent idea to an editor.”

We
often start with questions.

—How
will we tell the story?

—Who
will buy it?

—What
truth do we want this book to tell?

—What personal
experiences will be woven into the fabric of the project?

—Why
are we interested in the topics we choose and how do we want readers to react?

Laurie Ann Thompson says, “I start by
consuming a lot of background material until I can see my own original
structure taking shape.”

The
proposal document includes an overview of the idea, which Kelly Milner-Halls says, “[Is] my
chance to capture editorial imaginations.”

After
the overview, a typical proposal includes a chapter outline with a brief
synopsis of each chapter and the author’s biography (and sometimes the
biographies of the experts who will be featured in the book).

Because
the document is our sales pitch, we also supply market research that includes
competitive titles and connections to the Common Core State Standards and/or
the Next Generation Science Standards. Many editors also require sample
chapters.

 

Most of
these elements sound straight-forward, but trust me, they’re not. Embedded
within all of these sections is the life of the project, the magical piece that
hooks kids or ties it to the real world, the voice that makes the project leap
off the page.

According
to Sarah Albee, “I can have the
snazziest outline ever, but figuring out the voice is always the most difficult
part.”

The
sample chapters keep me awake at night. My nonfiction involves living, working
scientists. How do I justify taking the scientist’s time to write a winning
sample chapter given I don’t yet have a contract for the project? Additionally,
I don’t write in a straight line. I write the middle chapters first and the
first chapter last—after I figure out my narrative thread and what I’m trying
to say. See my problem?

In a
perfect world, a proposal receives the go-ahead from an editor. Veteran
nonfiction authors know that the proposal provides a working outline for the
book. Then we dig in to the research in earnest and are sometimes surprised by
changes to our original idea.

Heather Montgomery says, “Often
new important themes come out of in-depth research,” that requires the weaving
together of unexpected threads as we write the manuscript.

The
next time you read a MG or YA nonfiction book, try to read between the lines to
discover how that idea came to be. Teachers, consider asking students to write
the proposal for a current nonfiction title or an original idea. Do fellow
students think the proposal would make a good book? If not, it’s back to square
one.

Patricia Newman’s books inspire kids to seek connections to the real world.
Titles such as Sea Otter Heroes;
Eavesdropping on Elephants; and Zoo
Scientists to the Rescue empower readers to act and use imagination to
solve problems. A Robert F. Sibert Honor recipient, her books have received
starred reviews, two Green Earth Book Awards, a Parents’ Choice Award, been
honored as Junior Library Guild Selections, and included on Bank Street
College’s Best Books lists. Educators describe her author visits as
“phenomenal,” “fantastic,” “mesmerizing,”
“passionate,” and “inspirational.” Visit her at www.patriciamnewman.com.

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