Book Proposal Coaching

$4,900

Build the case for your book and give agents a clear reason to pay attention.

You want your book proposal to give an agent a sense of the emotional journey your manuscript takes readers on. I help you shape the proposal so it conveys the impact of your story and gives you a strong foundation for pitching your book with confidence.

Develop a pitch-ready proposal.

A proposal communicates what kind of book it is, who it is for and what kind of transformation it offers. We clarify why readers need it, where it belongs in the marketplace and how it compares to existing books.

This is for nonfiction writers who want to deliver a clear transformation for the reader. You don’t need a finished manuscript but you need an idea you’re ready to develop into a nonfiction book proposal and commit to a minimum two-month engagement.

Take Your Nonfiction Book to the Marketplace.

Strategy

Position your book for the marketplace:

Research competitive titles.
Identify how your book stands out.
Establish a pitch plan that you can lean on when overwhelmed in the process.
Find appropriate agents at the pitch stage.
Develop an enticing query letter.

We’ll develop the proposal in relationship to the marketplace and identify appropriate agents when you’re ready to pitch.

Structure

Develop the components of your proposal:

Table of Contents, your story’s spine.
Overview, the nuts and bolts of your project.
Chapter outline and chapter summaries, the core of your story.
Sample excerpt, this shows the kind of writer you are.
Author bio, establish your platform.

You’ll gain clarity about how to present your book that stands out in the marketplace.

Support

You don’t have to figure it out by yourself:

Two months of coaching

Two one-hour coaching calls each month
Two submissions each month, up to 5,000 words each
In-depth editorial feedback on your proposal and query letter
Coaching on the key components of your proposal
Coaching on competitive titles and marketplace positioning
Coaching on researching appropriate agents
Coaching and feedback on developing your query letter

Build a proposal that presents your book clearly to agents and publishers.

I can’t promise that your proposal will land you an agent or a book deal.

But you’ll have a strong foundation on which to approach agents and pitch your project.

Michaela’s astute feedback on the query pitch package for my novel helped me to drastically revise it, resulting in a much stronger and more interesting query. She also found great agents for me to query that had not been on my radar. I wholeheartedly recommend Michaela as a book coach for authors looking to take their work to another level.

Amy L. Bernstein Author of The Potrero Complex and The Nighthawkers

Working With Me

We’ll begin our work together with a 20-minute kick-off call to plan our two months working together.

Payment is due upon signing the contract.
You commit to four one-hour zoom calls scheduled within two months, twice per month, following the agreed-upon deadlines for revision.
You’ll send up to a total of 20,000 words for the proposal for review.
You’ll review any edits or feedback before our next scheduled call.
Be open to guidance, new ideas, and new tools you may not have used before.
Be honest about what is or is not working in our coaching relationship.
Ask for help if you need it.

Tell Me About Your Book Proposal

Where you are in the proposal process?

Once you submit the questionnaire, you’ll be invited to schedule a free 30-minute Zoom call with me. We’ll discuss your book, answer your questions, and determine whether working together is the right next step.

Michaela von Schweinitz is a member of Women’s Fiction Writers Association, New York Women in Film and Television, and a founding member of Greenlight Women and Memoir Nation.

As an Author Accelerator certified book coach, I am qualified to coach writers using Author Accelerator’s strategy, methods, and materials, but I operate independently of Author Accelerator and am not affiliated with them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I self-publish or pursue traditional publishing?

There’s no universally “right” answer — it depends on your goals, timeline, and how much control you want over the process.

Both routes of publishing have their advantages and disadvantages and sometimes a hybrid publisher might be the right choice for you.

Many writers benefit from talking through their specific project and goals before deciding.

Traditional publishing offers wider distribution and industry validation but comes with a slower, more competitive path (querying agents, submission rounds) and less creative/financial control.

Self-publishing gives you speed and full control, but requires you to manage (or hire out) editing, design, and marketing yourself.

Do I need to have a finished manuscript to work with you?

No. You can work with me at different stages of the writing process. You need to know what your book is about and have an idea who your ideal reader is. To submit a book proposal you need between ten pages and two chapters.

You may come to me with an idea or a first draft of your non-fiction book. Or you might have a completed manuscript and need help writing a pitch and query agents.

What kinds of books do you coach?

I work with memoir, fiction, and nonfiction, including writers who are adapting a screenplay into a novel.

For nonfiction writers who are preparing to approach agents and publishers, I also offer specialized Book Proposal Coaching focused on developing and presenting the book for the publishing marketplace.

I do not coach books generated by AI.

I am not the right coach for stories that describe violence in explicit, vivid, and disturbing detail.

Terms & Conditions