When you’re first starting any sort of study group, you will want to start by taking an inventory of the books you own. While this might seem a little silly, this will help you to see what books everyone owns which can be used for the study group. Then, the a course in miracles titles can be entered into the book collection software so that everyone’s relevant books can be in the system, ready for the next group. The list can be updated at regular intervals and when books are borrowed by others, a note can be left beside the book title. Take a day to work together to enter in the books you own and what might be helpful to the group as a whole.
Sharing Your Library
If you’re in a study group, you shouldn’t have to buy new books necessarily in order to get ahead. You should be able to share the books you have amongst yourselves so that you can all fill in the gaps of your learning. For example, some people might be well-versed in anatomy while others might be more proficient in the medical terminology in a medical student study group. By sharing books on these topics, those who need to strengthen themselves in certain areas can do so without having to spend more money on more books.
Meeting Across the Miles
At times, your study group may not be able to meet in one room, so the book collection software can also be beneficial. If this seems to be the case, you can put all of your books online and then share your ideas about what books might be best for certain tests and professors. Or you might simply post the books online for others to purchase on their own if they need to have the book content right then. You could also find out who has what books and try to get them to other study group members with the book collection software system.
A propos not required if your book is a novel, but key parts of it can be very helpful in convincing the agent or publisher that representing your book will be profitable. It gives you the chance to outline the market for the book and the way you intend to reach those readers, and that information is extremely important to a publisher. Complete proposals are a must when your book is nonfiction. The reason for this difference should be obvious. The key to a novel’s success is its style, pace and characterization. These cannot be relayed in a proposal. Conversely, the principal element in most nonfiction books is content, and that can readily be demonstrated.
Your nonfiction proposal can be submitted well before you complete your book. You will need several sample chapters to send as part of the proposal. No fiction manuscript will be finally accepted until it can be read in its entirety, although an agent may ask for a synopsis of your novel prior to receiving the completed book.
Sell, Sell, Sell
The proposal is really a major expansion of your query letter. Now that the query has opened the door, it is essential that you seize this opportunity to give the agent or publisher the confidence that your book will be a profitable investment. The key question is always whether or not a profit can be made. Therefore, flowery praises from family and friends have no place in the proposal. Nor do meaningless adjectives. Only hard facts will sell. Your proposal must offer:
* A solid analysis of the market for your book.
* An evaluation of the competition your book faces.
* The uniqueness of your book.
* The effort you will undertake to build sales for the book.
These are the issues that matter, and must be described thoroughly.
Setting It Up
There are many sources to guide you as you develop your document. Look for Michael Larsen’s How to Write a Book Proposal, Peter Rubie’s Writer’s Market FAQ’s or many of the other guides that you can locate on the Internet. As Michael Larsen points out in the opening of his book, publishers are hungry for new books and new ideas. “The challenge,” he points out, “is to get the proposal to the right editor at the right publisher at the right time.” I would add that it must be the “right” proposal. One that both describes the book and entices the agent who reads it.
