That's why writing a proposal has become so crucial. Time was when only non-fiction authors were required to send in a proposal, explaining in a page or two what their book will be about. But no longer. Even fiction editors now expect their authors, especially first-time authors, to send in a proposal along with a sample chapter or two. A winning proposal, according to top non-fiction editors, will have three elements: a precis of the book, how it will be structured, and written in such a way that it rouses enthusiasm both in editorial breasts as well as marketing ones. As one columnist in the Guardian put it, "It's more than simply a well-thought-through suggestion. It's practically a new form of literature." It can't be too good either. As one editor told Bibliofile, "you never know if it wasn't ghost-written. That's why I insist on seeing both proposal and sample chapters."
The most famous proposal in recent times was the two-page one that Vikram Seth prepared for his Two Lives. The agent passed around the note, and sat back with Seth, waiting for the offers to flow. The rest, of course, is history, with Seth getting the highest-ever advance for a literary memoir.
