Not all book proposals need to be long and full-length. If you’re a published author, if your credentials are impressive, or if you’re well-known to a particular publishing house, your book proposals can be shorter and more to the point. These abbreviated book proposals are called mini book proposals.

One mega literary agency, which handles the top names in computer and technical books, describes the mini proposal as containing three sections: a summary of the author, the book, and the topic. The way they break it down, the book summary should give an overview of the book in one paragraph. They also want you to mention the audience for the book in this section. The next section is about the topic and, because they specialize in computer books, they want a one-page summary of the particular computer technology and how it relates to the computing world. (This is understandable for a computer book, but not needed for most other types of books.) The final section about the author is self-explanatory -- obviously it’s the section where you mention your credentials and publishing history.

A well-known literary agent, Michael Larsen, suggests that your mini proposal be from 5 to 10 double-spaced pages and contain a few sections other than those mentioned above. In addition to an about-the-author section and an overview section, he suggests you also include a section on marketing and another section on promotion. He also wants you to include a section on resources needed to complete the book, but most agents I’ve worked with said this isn’t necessary -- unless you need a big travel budget. Of course you’ll need an outline of the book, and it’s a good idea to include a sample chapter or two. Larsen believes you should send the mini proposal along with the full proposal. Although I have the greatest respect for Larsen and his approach, I think this is a mistake. If you’re in a position to sell a book with just a mini proposal -- and I have done this, so I know it’s possible -- just send the mini proposal alone. Forget about doing extra work and writing a full-length proposal. If they (the agent and publisher) know you and you have the credentials, you don’t need it. Sending both will just confuse your agent and editor and waste time.

The bottom line is that a mini proposal is the perfect way for an established writer to sell his or her next book. It’s not the way for a novice to break into publishing. Unless you’re a celebrity or a sports star, you’ll need a full-length book proposal for your first nonfiction book.