Sample Non Fiction Book Proposal Template (Free Download)

Gary Smailes
Gary Smailes | 4 December 2025
Sample Non-fiction Book Proposal Template (Free Download)

Why Your Non-fiction Book Proposal Matters

Think of your book proposal as a job interview for your idea. You walk into the room with confidence, shake hands with the acquisitions editor, and have exactly fifteen minutes to prove your book deserves a place on their publishing calendar. No pressure, right?

Here's what most writers get wrong: they think the proposal is about the book. It's not. The proposal is about the business opportunity your book represents.

Your Proposal Is a Business Pitch, Not a Book Report

When an agent or editor opens your proposal, they're asking three questions: Will this book find readers? Does this author have the authority to write it? How will we get it into the hands of people who will buy it?

Notice what's missing? They're not wondering if you write beautiful sentences or if your grandmother thinks your story is touching. They want to see dollar signs, marketing channels, and a clear path to profit.

The proposal proves market demand before you've written the full manuscript. It shows that real people with real problems need your solution badly enough to spend money on it. You're not asking for faith in your writing ability. You're presenting evidence that your book fills a gap in the marketplace.

Why Non-fiction Sells on Proposal

Fiction writers must finish their novels before querying. Non-fiction writers get to skip that step, and for good reason. A prescriptive book about productivity, entrepreneurship, or personal finance sells based on its promise and positioning, not its prose style.

Memoir is the exception. Publishers want to see your full manuscript because memoir depends on storytelling skill and emotional resonance. But if you're writing how-to, business, self-help, or explanatory non-fiction, your proposal plus two polished sample chapters will do the job.

This gives you enormous leverage. You write the proposal, secure the agent and book deal, then write the book. The advance arrives while you're still drafting chapters three through twelve.

The Proposal as Your Book's Business Plan

Every section of your proposal answers a specific business question:

Your overview proves the concept has legs. Your audience analysis shows you know who will buy this book and why they need it right now. Your competitive titles demonstrate market appetite and your unique positioning. Your author platform reveals your ability to reach and influence your target readers.

The chapter outline isn't just a table of contents. It's a roadmap showing how you'll deliver on your promise, chapter by chapter, with measurable outcomes readers will achieve.

Write Like You're Selling Solutions

Here's where most proposals go sideways. Writers approach them like academic papers instead of sales copy. They focus on what the book contains instead of what it accomplishes.

Your hook needs teeth. Your audience description needs specificity. Your unique value proposition needs to be so clear that an editor reading fifty proposals that week will remember yours.

Ask yourself: If someone gave you thirty seconds to explain why this book matters, what would you say? That's your elevator pitch. Everything in your proposal supports and expands that core message.

Start With One Bulletproof Sentence

Before you open the template, nail down your big idea in one sentence: "This book helps [specific reader] achieve [specific outcome] by [distinct approach]."

Not "This book helps people be more successful." That tells me nothing. Try "This book helps mid-level managers become senior executives by mastering the five influence strategies their MBA programs never taught them."

See the difference? The second version identifies your reader, promises a transformation, and hints at your unique method. An acquisitions editor reading that sentence immediately knows whether this book fits their list.

Your entire proposal flows from that one sentence. Every section, every example, every piece of evidence supports the promise you make in those twenty-five words or fewer.

The proposal that gets you an agent and a book deal isn't the one that sounds most literary. It's the one that makes the strongest business case for your idea. Write accordingly.

How to Use the Free Template

Download the template and immediately save it with a new name. Call it "YourBookTitle_Proposal_v1.docx" or something equally boring and professional. This working copy is your sandbox. The original template stays pristine for future projects.

Replace Every Bracketed Prompt

You'll see bracketed prompts throughout: [Insert your hook here], [Target audience demographics], [List competitive titles]. These aren't suggestions. They're instructions.

Replace each prompt with concrete, specific information. Not "TBD" or "to be determined" or "I'll figure this out later." Agents and editors see those placeholders as red flags. They signal you haven't done the work or you're not ready to pitch your book.

When the prompt asks for your target audience, write "Marketing directors at Fortune 500 companies who struggle with digital transformation initiatives." When it asks for your platform, write "Newsletter: 8,200 subscribers, 34% open rate. Speaking: 12 corporate events annually, average audience 150 people."

Numbers beat generalities every time.

Follow the Standard Section Order

The template follows industry-standard proposal structure. Don't rearrange sections because you think your marketing plan is more compelling than your overview. Agents and editors read hundreds of proposals. They expect information in a specific order, and they'll get cranky if they have to hunt for your author bio or competitive analysis.

The sequence flows logically: Cover page introduces your book. Overview hooks the reader and states your premise. Target audience proves you know who will buy this. Market analysis shows demand exists. Competitive titles position your book in the marketplace. Author bio establishes your credibility. Platform and marketing plan demonstrate your ability to reach readers. Chapter outline maps your content delivery. Sample chapters showcase your writing.

Each section builds on the previous one. Respect that architecture.

Master Professional Formatting

Your proposal should look like it came from a publishing house, not a coffee shop. Use Times New Roman, 12-point font for body text. Stick to black ink on white paper. Set one-inch margins on all sides.

Double-space your sample chapters. Single-space everything else, with clear breaks between sections. Use consistent heading hierarchy: major sections get Heading 2 formatting, subsections get Heading 3, and so on.

Number your pages. Include a header with your last name and book title on every page after the cover sheet. These details matter because they show you understand publishing conventions.

Export Strategy: PDF and Word

When you finish writing, export a clean PDF for sharing. PDFs preserve your formatting across different devices and operating systems. They look professional in email attachments and online submissions.

But keep your Word document handy. Some agents prefer to work in Word with tracked changes enabled. They want to make notes, ask questions, or suggest revisions directly in the document. Having both formats ready shows you're prepared for either preference.

Name your files professionally: "Smith_ProductivityBook_Proposal.pdf" beats "My Amazing Book Proposal FINAL FINAL.docx" every time.

Customize for Your Book Category

The template works for most non-fiction categories, but you'll need to adjust elements based on your specific type of book.

Writing a prescriptive business book? Add case studies, frameworks, and worksheets to show practical application. Your readers want actionable advice they can implement immediately.

Working on narrative non-fiction or reportage? Include more context about your research methods, interview subjects, and narrative structure. Editors need to understand how you'll weave storytelling with information.

Planning a memoir? You'll need the full manuscript, not just sample chapters, but the proposal template still helps you organize your pitch and marketing plan.

History or biography? Add appendices with your source materials, research timeline, and any unique access you have to archives or primary sources.

Self-help or personal development? Include before-and-after case studies, testimonials from beta readers, and measurable outcomes your methods produce.

Avoid Template Trap

Here's what separates amateur from professional proposals: amateurs fill in blanks, professionals adapt the template to showcase their unique strengths.

If your biggest asset is a massive email list, expand the platform section. If you have exclusive access to industry data, beef up the market analysis. If you're a gifted storyteller, let your voice shine through the sample chapters.

The template provides structure, not a straitjacket. Use it as your foundation, then customize ruthlessly to highlight what makes your book irresistible to publishers.

Remember: agents and editors see dozens of proposals that look exactly like the template they downloaded. Yours needs to feel like it was written specifically for your book, your audience, and your unique value proposition.

Make the template work for you, not the other way around.

Core Sections to Complete (Section-by-Section Prompts)

Overview and Hook

Open with the problem. Name it in one sentence. Use plain words. Then answer why now. Point to a trend, a shift, or a new constraint. Close with your promise to the reader.

Use this three-line starter:

Add your unique angle. One paragraph on your method. One on outcomes. End with a one-sentence value line: This book helps [specific reader] achieve [specific result] by [distinct approach].

Keep this section to one or two pages. Crisp, specific, scannable.

Mini exercise:

Target Audience

Name a primary reader. Then a secondary group. Give demographics and psychographics. Show where people gather and what they pay for.

Example snapshot:

Pro tip. Avoid “everyone.” A focused audience signals a focused book.

Mini exercise:

Author Bio

Show proof you belong in this topic. Link experience to outcomes. Use numbers, names, and reach. Keep fluff out.

Three-sentence bio formula:

Add one sentence on media or bylines if relevant. Add one sentence on lived experience if central to the thesis.

Mini exercise:

Chapter Outline

Aim for 12 to 18 chapters for prescriptive work. Two to four sentences per chapter. Show progression. Each entry states a problem, a tool, and a result.

Example entries:

  1. First 30 Days. Diagnose team health with three short surveys. Map skills and trust. Leave with a one-page plan.
  2. One-on-Ones That Work. A 30-minute agenda. Questions for growth, alignment, and morale. Build a cadence, reduce surprises.
  3. Clear Goals, Fewer Meetings. Use outcome metrics, not task lists. Set weekly checkpoints. Cut meeting time by 25 percent.

End the outline with a short note on appendices or bonus tools if those exist.

Mini exercise:

Chapter Features

Features help readers use the book. Pick features that serve the promise, then stay consistent.

Menu to choose from:

Explain why features appear. For example, “Checklists close each chapter to drive weekly practice.” Keep design simple in the proposal. A text mockup does the job.

Mini exercise:

Voice and Tone

Editors want to hear your sound on the page. Give a short note that sets expectations, then anchor with comps.

Format:

Add one sentence on point of view. For example, “Second person for guidance, first person for brief anecdotes.” Keep this tight, five lines or fewer.

Mini exercise:

Action: Make Every Claim Measurable

End each core section with numbers. Editors trust proof.

Examples:

Mini checklist:

Do this across the proposal, and your pitch reads like a business case, not a hope.

Market Analysis and Competitive Titles

Market Need

Prove a problem exists. Name who feels it, where it shows up, and what it costs.

Use three quick beats:

Back this with signals. Think credible reports, recent surveys, and live communities. Pull numbers from places like Pew Research, SHRM, Gallup, Stack Overflow surveys, LinkedIn workplace reports, and major trade groups in your niche. Scan Reddit threads, Quora questions, and high-traffic blog comments for language your reader uses. Look for patterns across sources, not one-off stats.

Mini exercise:

Sizing the Opportunity

Show scale without guessing sales.

Useful indicators:

Example lines:

Stick to sources readers can check. Avoid private dashboards and vague estimates.

Mini exercise:

Finding Comps

Strong comps show you know the shelf and the conversation. Pick five to eight titles from the last five to seven years. Include publisher and year. Follow with one sentence on overlap and one sentence on difference.

Example set for a first-time manager feedback book:

Avoid mega-bestsellers far outside your niche unless the overlap is clear. Avoid comps older than seven years unless no newer title covers the space with reach.

Mini exercise:

Positioning Statement

Use a short statement to place your book between known anchors.

Template:
For [specific reader], unlike [comp A] and [comp B], this book delivers [distinct benefit or approach].

Example:
For first-time tech managers, unlike The Making of a Manager and Remote Not Distant, this book delivers a 12-week feedback system with scripts, metrics, and remote-friendly rituals.

Keep it punchy. If it runs long, your angle needs work.

Mini exercise:

Shelf and Keywords

Show where the book lives and how readers will search for it.

BISAC candidates:

Bookstore shelf:

Amazon categories: