We are super excited to announce today our very first crash course, How to Write and Pitch a Book Proposal, by our literary agent, Lindsay Edgecombe. This course is designed to help aspiring authors take their book ideas and turn them into awesome book proposals that will stand out to literary agents and publishers (and hopefully get them a book deal!). 
Elsie and I first met Lindsay a few years ago when we were beginning to dream about writing a book. Lindsay helped us land a two-book deal with Random House and launch our publishing career. As an experienced and successful agent at the Levine Greenberg Literary Agency she has helped many, many authors get their start.
This is our first crash course to launch within our digital publishing program. What’s a crash course? Good question. Crash courses are designed to be mini versions of e-courses. They cover specific topics and could be read within a (long) evening or over a weekend.
What’s inside How to Write and Pitch a Book Proposal:
•How to know if you’re ready to pitch your book
•How to write an awesome pitch letter (sometimes called a query)
•How to draft an overview of your idea
•Crafting an attention-getting biography
•How to think about your potential audience
•Growing your platform as an author
•Drafting a great chapter outline
Lindsay packs the course with encouragement as well as industry insider knowledge from her experiences in the publishing world over the past ten years.
This course also includes the actual book proposal from Chris Baty’s (the founder of NaNoWriMo) first book.
The course is work at your own pace. After purchase you’ll have access to the course through your account at Shop ABM. We’ve included a PDF of the entire course in case you wish to own a printed copy. The course costs $30 USD.
If you have a great idea for a book but don’t know where to go from there, I highly recommend you check out this crash course. xo. Emma
Credits // Author: Emma Chapman, Photography by: Sarah Rhodes, Janae Hardy, and Jeremy Larson.
66 Comments
I cant wait to read your guy’s book! I am totally going to buy it off of amazon!
Ohhh super exciting! And such a great price. I’ve always wanted to write a book, but I’m not sure about what. I’ve tossed around fiction ideas as well as a memoir idea. I don’t think I’m anywhere near ready to actually pitch an idea, but I hope this crash course will provide some motivation and inspiration to help me get there. Or at least to start germinating that little seed that’s been planted in my brain. Sorry for that metaphor, gardens are on my mind!
$8 – this is awesome! Lindsay, I hope you are ready for an influx of query letters once a bunch of A Beautiful Mess’s readers go through this crash course 🙂
this is good. really really good!
xo.
http://dropsofjupiterBLOG.com
LOVE! And love the price, seriously. I’m signing up! I’ve been working on a few things for awhile, now, so this is perfect timing.
Sarah M
Only $8? Where do I sign up? This is amazing coincidence, I was just thinking about doing a course.
http://shadeofredblog.com
This sounds awesome and helpful! A few questions: is there a deadline before you can register? Is there a cap on the number of “students” or is this like an open enrollment? Can I apply my discount code I got from the survey a few weeks ago :-)? Thanks! Looking forward to this one for sure!!!!
Will this be available ONLY this month?
can’t wait for your new book! A side question – I know you’ve been using your bamboo tablet for a while so you’re a pro now, but what brush in Photoshop do you use? It looks like a square one and it’s so perfect. I can’t seem to get a brush that’s thick enough but still thin enough that it looks like actual handwriting. Thanks!!! xo
This sounds like an amazing course! If I ever finish my book I will sign up! 😀
http://everydayingrace.blogspot.ca/
Hey, just wandering if there was a specific schedule as to when the various classes you have planned for April would be released?
you ladies rock!!!
Thank you so much Samantha!
xo- Elsie
Hey Maggie!
There is actually a place inside the course where you can ask Lindsay questions and read her responses to other student’s questions.
She’s one of the friendliest people we know! :))
Elsie
Hi Marketa,
There is no deadline. This is a continually running course, which means it will be available all year and you get access to all the information at once after you sign up!
Yes, you can use your discount code!
xx- Elsie
Hi Jessie,
It will be available all year.
🙂 Elsie
Hi Alessia,
I use a few of the ones that look like pencil lines. Hope that helps!
xx- Elsie
http://www.wattpad.com/43531617-the-beast-of-shishreal
i have more in the working yet i fear the people who would steal my ideas, which has happen on occasion. I have a talent for story telling. Even though my education is incomplete, it does not reflect in my writing in any way. Given the fact i do have misspelling errors, and have what i believe to be run-ons. I am 21, yet some say i have an old soul. I hope you read this, knowing people enjoy it gives me hope. i need proof reading, and some kind of feed back one anyone. Really i just want to be noticed by someone who’s talents paramount my own. Also the reality of my small little “comment” is that I’m blind to my own mistakes. I know what i wanna write about but i feel like no one can, i dunno.
I want it to flow, and have kind of structure.
I wanna just to have a real audience. that being said i guess i’ll start my pitch. (sorry for making you read so much)
the b.o.s takes places in a over populated city, causing the foundation that held together society fade into a abyss. Everyone being hermits, making the walls that sheltered them, inflecting a path devastation beyond repair. The native people being suppressed in to extinction, leaving the faith of the world to the last of their kind, a people who’s land was being poisoned by The Newlanders. Being blessed with the touch of Destruction, his counterpart being oblivious to his place in the Divne’s plan. They both don’t understand the faith that awaits them being the last of a generation. A story who’s tale entwined farther into the Act of God, making them the tools to the End of Creation.
Hi Alinor,
We’re releasing one a week. Next week will be Elise’s crash course and the following week our Blog Love 2.0 course will launch. 🙂
Elsie
Awe- thanks lady!
Elsie
also i forgot to thank you in your endeavors in helping others who have such a passion as i do. I don’t mean to go one it’s just i have such high hopes for my voice and my stories.
Again thank you for this opportunity, fulfilling my dream in writing the a book.
I will be using this in the future! Thanks!
I’m so looking forward to your new book!
Sounds like a complete bargain…where do I sign..
http://vodkaandarose.blogspot.co.uk
I’m so excited to take this course. It’s so affordable and sounds wildly helpful for those who love to write and have been writing for many years, but have no idea how to go about getting a book published! Plan on taking this for sure! Eep!
xoxo
Thank you so much. I have always wanted to try to get my story published and these are some great tips on how to go about it. Thanks again. Feel free to check out my blog too =)
sprinkleofmetime.blogspot.com
Hooray! So happy you guys are into it!
😀 Elsie
How fantastic! Although I went to school for Language and Literature Arts, this is not something tell taught me in college. So this is gonna be SO useful! Thanks,ladies! 🙂
Congrats girls! Do you come in Europe to sign some autographs? xo
I would definitely be interested in this! I have taken many of your e-courses and would love to try something different this time. I am so excited and since it’s from ABM, I already know it’s going to be good 🙂
Love and Luck,
Laurali Star
http://www.thesecretsurprisinista.com
It’s so great that you are offering this at such an affordable price! Thanks
Jana http://www.janaleemiller.com
I just bought your course and can’t wait to sit down with a coffee for a good read. Thanks!
Would this be good for someone who is interested in writing/getting a childrens book published?
Dominique,
Yes. It’s written for anyone interested in publishing any type of book through a publishing house. It also includes notes about self publishing. 🙂
Elsie
Awe- Eva! So sweet of you to ask. We’ve never done a book signing in Europe, but hopefully someday! 😀
xx- Elsie
Thank you Laurali! It’s a very good course. We’re super excited that Lindsay agreed to share her secrets!
xx- Elsie
Thanks so much Cate! I hope you enjoy it.
xx- Elsie
You girls are awesome !! Such a great price I have just signed up !! I have a few ideas, but nothing set in stone, but this will help for the future ! Thanks so much xxx
Hi !
Sorry to post this comment here, but I saw your books, on amazon.fr and I wondered if they will be translated in french ?
Thank you.
Sophie.
Hi Sophie,
We don’t know for sure. Our first book has already been translated a couple times (but not to French yet) so we’re hopeful that they will someday! I’m sorry I can’t give you a for sure answer. 🙂
Elsie
The book looks wonderful!
Thank you so much for asking that Alinor, and answering Elsie! I am so looking forward to the Blog Love 2.0! My blog needs an overhaul and a whole lot of new inspired lovin:)
I so needed this. ANd thank you for making it so affordable! I’m very excited 🙂
Interesting! I´m working on a children’s book right now, with my Lunafigures as characters. It´s both exciting and terrifying.
Hi! I purchased the course and I’m wondering where I would find the PDF of it.
It took me forever to consider myself a writer. And I never even considered a math nerd like myself would ever want to write a book, but lately I’ve been having people encourage me to give it a try. This crash course definitely seems like a push in the right direction! And only $8?!
You guys are just so amazing for sharing great tips like this to help others reach their dreams! Thank you!
Hi Natasha,
We’ll be getting it added to the course page shortly. In the meantime, all of the content is available within that course page.
Thanks so much for purchasing!
Emma
Hi, Emma! Thank you for your fast response and I love this course. I look forward to purchasing more courses through the ABM shop!
Yes! I am so so sooo excited for this! This is something that I’ve been looking into for a while and I can’t wait to check out this crash course!
xoxo
Taylor
This is so great! Question- will this provide insight with fiction novel book proposals or just how to and/or coffee table type books?
HI I just purchased the crash course and I am not seeing where I would go to get the pdf?
thanks
Lovely photos. Nice post 🙂
ℓα ℒιcσrηe – ℒa vie est ℓa petite ℓicorne.
* Giveaway *
the disadvantages of being brazilian: not being able to buy this as I don’t have an international CC. 🙁
SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!!!!!!!! LOVE Y’ALL!!!!!
you both are amazing! love this idea 🙂
xxoo,
nikki
http://www.dreaminneon.blogspot.com
This sounds so awesome, another amazing idea of yours! “Add to Cart”
Awesome crash course ladies! 🙂
Lulu xx
http://luluslittlewonderland.blogspot.com
I’m buying this curse and your book!! MAybe someday all of my thoughts and experiences can come together for good. 😉
It might be beneficial to mention somewhere that proposals are strictly for non-fiction writers. Fiction writers MUST have a complete manuscript first! I wouldn’t want aspiring novelists thinking they only need an idea and a stellar proposal in order to land an agent and/or book deal! 🙂
Congratulations on all of your success! You ladies deserve it!
xox – Rachel of Saddle & Suede
Thank you girls so much for doing this!
I was interested in this and ready to purchase but… why on earth do you need my address and phone number for the sale of a digital product?
thanks, Elsie! 🙂
Hello! I paid for this course via PayPal but can’t figure out how to access it…? Thank you!
Hi! I can help you with that. Just send me an email at: support AT redvelvetart DOT com 🙂 – Jacki
Yes, I saw your book on the Amazon shelves, have your books translated into Japanese?