• This course closed on 01/10/2021.

This live online masterclass will help you turn your non-fiction book idea into a deal-winning book proposal, to wow publishers and launch your professional writing career!

Taught by me, Beth Kempton, in partnership with my literary agency Hardman & Swainson and a host of invited industry experts. My books have been translated into 24 languages, selected by TIME Magazine as a recommended read, called ‘truly transformational’ by Sunday Times Style and chosen by Apple USA as a ‘Must Listen’ on iTunes. My four book proposals have secured 32 individual book deals with publishers all over the world.

This used to be my dream. Now it’s my job. And it could be yours too.

This course includes:

• Everything you need to know to turn your non-fiction idea into a compelling, commercial pitch for agents and publishers. I do not believe in formulas for creative work, but I do have a process for developing book proposals that land book deals (and have had multiple publishers bidding for them in auctions), and it is that process that I share in this course.
• Industry insight from a host of experts (see below) so you understand where your book idea will land, how it will be viewed, and how the key decision makers decide whether to bid for or reject a proposal, along with detailed explanations of how rights and advances work. Want to hear exactly what goes on at a Commissioning Meeting at a major publishing house? Want to know what happens at book fairs? Want to know whether or not you need a big social media platform? It’s all in here!
• Behind-the-scenes details of my own experience, with details that are very difficult to find out on your own, including specific examples of the pitch to publication timelines for my books, an example of the actual  pitch email and press release used to land coverage in a major national magazine, an insight into creating an awesome book marketing plan and more.
• Encouragement and support for your writing journey, including advice on coping with self-doubt, fear and rejection.
• Tips for building a flexible and sustainable writing career with multiple streams of income.
• Advice for taking care of yourself as a writer, so you can be in it for the long term.
• And a little sprinkling of magic…

When is it happening?

Class runs November 11 – December 7, 2019. Places are strictly limited to allow me to support each and every student, and answer any questions you might have, and places will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. So, if you are serious about getting your book proposal written, book yourself a place asap!

Who is involved?

I have designed this course to share everything I wish I had known when I was starting out, and most of the daily lessons are taught by me, speaking to you writer-to-writer, and also sharing my experience as a business owner with multiple streams of income, which support and are supported by my writing. I have also brought in the following experts to give you invaluable industry insight through my probing interviews with them:

• Caroline Hardman, Co-Founder of Hardman & Swainson Literary Agency (my own agent)
• Therese Coen, International Rights Director at Hardman & Swainson Literary Agency (my own foreign rights agent who has sold the translation rights for my books to 24 different languages)
• Anna Steadman, Commissioning Editor at Headline Publishing, an Hachette company (Anna was the Commissioning Editor for Wabi Sabi before she moved to Headline and has vast experience in acquiring and publishing non-fiction books including the bestselling Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton)
• Beth Wright, Senior PR Officer at Piatkus / Little, Brown (Beth has led on the PR for my books at Piatkus)
• Aimee Kitson, Senior Marketing Officer at Piatkus / Little, Brown (Aimee has led on marketing for my books at Piatkus)
• Beth Kephart, award-winning memoirist, writing tutor at the University of Pennslyvanie (UPenn) and author of ‘Handling the Truth: On the Writing of Memoir’ and over 30 other fiction and non-fiction books

Where do I sign up?

Sound like exactly what you need to bring your book dream to life and land an actual real-life book deal? Then register now via the link at the top of the page. You will instantly get access to the first part of class, so you can begin preparing right away. The first lesson will then be delivered into the classroom on Monday November 11.

FAQ

(1) How does it work? This class is delivered in a private online classroom (through daily audio lessons and an in-depth workbook) along with two live sessions broadcast online. There will also be a private community group where you can connect with other writers and ask me anything you like while class is live. You will also have the opportunity to put questions to my agent Caroline Hardman and to Rights Director Therese Coen, who has sold all the foreign rights for my books. Scroll down to see a full list of lessons.

(2) My idea is very vague at the moment. Should I wait and take a later class? Vague is very welcome, because it means your idea is still fluid and the exercises in the class will help you shape it into a book only you could write. In fact, even if your idea feels fairly developed, I will invite you to take a step back and be open to looking at it with fresh eyes, to allow it to evolve into a truly compelling idea. The process of creating your book proposal is perhaps the most powerful way to shape your idea.

(3) My manuscript is not finished. Should I wait and take a later class? You do not need a finished manuscript to submit a non-fiction book proposal. In fact, sending in a complete non-fiction manuscript it is actively discouraged by agents and publishers*, as they often like to help you shape it to make it as commercial as possible. You will only need one or two chapter samples and a summary of what will go into the other chapters. All this is covered in the course. So the answer is don’t waste time working on a full manuscript at this point – instead you are much better off putting that time and energy into writing the best proposal you can, so you can land a book deal and get an advance before you write the book!

*Note: The exception to this is memoir, which is almost a hybrid of fiction and non-fiction in terms of how it needs to be pitched to publishers. Although this course is not specifically for memoir, we do touch on it, and the development of a proposal will make a huge difference to how you shape and tell your story, so it is still absolutely worth spending time on it at this point.

(4) Is it possible to write a book proposal in four weeks? Yes it is possible, but whether or not you do of course depends on you! I tend to spend 4-5 weeks on my book proposals, from vague idea to ready-to-pitch. In this course I give you everything you need, break it down into small chunks so it is not at all intimidating, and help you pull together a brilliant proposal by the end. If it takes you a little longer than the four weeks of class that is absolutely fine. You will have access to all the content for six months after class ends.

(5) I have not yet decided whether to go down the traditional publishing route or to self-publish. Will this course help me? Yes! Even if you are going to self-publish, you still need to hone your idea into a commercially-viable book (especially if it’s your own money on the line), know your audience and figure out how you are going to get your book into the hands of readers. Writing a book proposal will help you do all of those things, and will be a valuable reference document for you every step of the way. And you never know, you might discover that traditional publishing is more appealing than you thought!

(6) Does this course cover how to get an agent? Yes it does. It also includes an in-depth interview with my own agent Caroline Hardman, who shares specific advice for how to get represented, and you can send in questions for Caroline during the course if there else you want to know.

(7) If I have a question can I ask it to someone? Yes, of course. While the course is live (Nov 11 – Dec 8) you can ask me anything you like at any time. You will also have the opportunity to send in questions for my agent and rights director (the person who sells the foreign rights for my books) for their industry insight.

(8) I live in a different time zone to the UK. Can I still join in? Absolutely. The lessons are released daily (at 7am UK time) but you can access them anytime that is convenient for you. The two live broadcasts will be on the second and fourth Sundays of class (Nov 24 and Dec 8), at 8pm UK time. If you cannot make the live sessions, you can send in any questions in advance and watch a replay at your convenience.

(9) I based in the USA (or another market other than the UK). Is the information in this course relevant for me? Absolutely. My first book Freedom Seeker was published by the world’s largest mind-body-spirit publisher, Hay House, which is headquartered in New York, and Wabi Sabi is published by Harper Design in the US. Both of those deals were based on the original proposal I wrote, for a global market. My agent and rights director act on an international stage, and the principles of what publishers want in a proposal are similar for all territories. Many of the writers signed up for this class are based in the USA.

(10) I only have a small platform at the moment. Should I wait to build it up and work on a proposal later? We go into this in some depth in the course, but essentially it is worth beginning on your proposal now, regardless of the size of your platform, because then you will be building it in a way that supports your book in the long run.

(11) Does this course guarantee me a book deal? No it does not! Whether or not you land a book deal depends on many things beyond my control, including the quality of your idea, pitch and writing, the agents and publishers you pitch to, your authority and platform, the timing of your idea and so on. However, what I can guarantee is that if you throw yourself into this course, do all the exercises and give it everything, you will have a superb pitch, a lot more confidence and a host of insight to give you the best possible chance of making it happen. The rest is down to you!

Any other questions? Just drop me a line at [email protected].

Here is a short video from me explaining more about the course. Please excuse the shiny face and lack of make up – I was on a research trip in Japan for my latest book proposal – shortly after returning from this trip I landed my fourth book deal with that very proposal 🙂