The HEA Cafe

Will you marry sell me?

One thing I didn’t realize after I signed with my agent was that I would be asked to try to sell on proposal.

Okay, I had heard over and over that the unpubbed would never sell on proposal and that they shouldn’t even try. But, I had heard that from other writers in the industry, not from my agent. This is why having an agent you trust is so important. My gut told me that she was leading me down the right path (for me), so I happily followed. Listen to your gut, it’s usually right.

It took three proposals and almost exactly one year from signing with Deidre before I sold. With each proposal I wrote, I became a stronger writer. But let me tell ya, it wasn’t easy at first because I’m a pantser at heart.

And, unfortunately for the pantser, you have to include a synopsis included with your proposal. I can honestly say this was the hardest part of the process for me. But I finally figured it out with the help of two fantastic CPs and my agent.

For me, a proposal is 50-60 pages of a manuscript, an 8-10 page synopsis (usually 10. I pretty much subscribe to the “1 page for every 10,000 word” theory of writing synopses) and blurbs for any connecting books.

Selling on proposal is a decision made by you and your agent. If you’re uncomfortable as an unpubbed author with trying, that’s okay. Just be sure to discuss this with your agent. Talk about the pros and cons and realize that once the proposal is sold, you have to finish the book(s) on deadline. That pressure might be too much for your first sale. I know many a writer who let the demands of their first deadline freak them out after they sold on proposal. You’ll always be safe if you discuss your concerns/fears with your agent.  This is your career and part of his/her job is to guide you into success.

If y’all decide that you should sell on a full manuscript first, realize that in the future, you will probably be asked to sell on proposal. This is a great way to keep the money coming in and to keep fresh projects going out. Just manage your time so that you don’t feel overwhelmed.

I’m still new at all this, so I’m fumbling my way through. Writing on my contracted work in the mornings, then working on my new ideas/proposals or revising in the afternoons, seems to work for me. Once you complete your proposal, send it and forget it. Get back to your contracted work and finish it so that when you sell your next work, you will be ahead of the game.

Peace y’all!
Melissa (Mel) Francis