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To answer some of the questions from my last Muffin post, I'm going to detail the roundabout way I developed a nonfiction book proposal.

One of the many Idiot's Guide books available on the marketplace.  Photo credit | PGHumphrey

The seeds of my Idiot's Guide book that will be coming out in January 2014 were sown in 2008. Not only is that the year that I started eating gluten free, it was also the year I attended a writers' conference in Florida. It was a small group of writers with a good mix of agents and editors. (It has been held sporadically since then and 2008 was the only time I've gone.)

Because the conference was such an intimate gathering, I managed to speak with several editors and agents. I continued to follow up with several of the folks. One of the agents I was in contact with would intermittently float tantalizing subjects for which I would write a proposal.

The Idiot's Guide proposals are not for the faint of heart. At one time, I was working on a television project and developing an Idiot's Guide based on the concept. I researched my heart out, but did not get the book gig.  (The TV gig took me to Texas, but not into viewers' homes.) I tried another time, but lucked out. The subject of that book has been banished from my memory.

Try and try again...

Along the way, a friend submitted and wrote her own Idiot's Guide. This year, when I found out the publishers were looking for a gluten-free author, I figured I'd try again and I called my friend for advice. She asked me some smart marketing questions that really helped frame my approach.

I'm passionate about the subject of gluten-free eating, but I don't blog it and I've yet to pitch a magazine story around it. Another catch: the book calls for recipes. In all my bag of tricks, I have not yet learned to develop recipes. The agent paired me with an experienced Idiot's Guide writer who develops recipes.

Try, try, and try again...

I wrote a chapter, based on the agent's request and the Idiot's Guide information, built out a table of contents, and the rest of the proposal. My collaborator helped me find the tone for writing it and fleshed out a list of recipes. For a while it did not look like we would get the contract. When we did, I continued to pinch myself and tried to think what I'd done differently this time. I'm still trying to figure that out.

To answer some of the questions of readers from my last post:

• I'm still in the author's review process and the editors have been approachable and easy to work with all along.
• There is manuscript formatting throughout the writing that becomes second nature after the second chapter.
• It has been a fantastic project and I'm really excited to see it in print, especially because it is a subject dear to my heart.

Penguin and the Idiot's Guide folks have put a lot of information on the Internet (some of which I linked to above). Take a look and jump in!

I'll keep answering questions, so keep asking them! For next time, research.

Elizabeth King Humphrey is a writer and editor living in southeastern North Carolina. Besides working with words, she enjoys coaching writers and designing books. Recipe development to come!

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Often you might run across a writer who doesn't want to share his or her book idea. Afraid to share the information, the writer considers that someone might steal the idea or is superstitious that by talking about the idea, it will never come to fruition.
Currently, I'm working on a book proposal. It is an idea I've been focused on for a while and involves a high school friend I reconnected with a couple years ago. My friend doesn't know much about publishing or book proposals, so I'm putting it together. As we've bantered about the book, the concept has fleshed out. I'm confident we have a book.
During the important stage of putting the book idea to paper, I started exchanging e-mails with a friend with dozens of successful book proposals under her belt. She is graciously helping me put together the proposal. (I've done proposals before, but they have yet to risen to the level of her successes.)
I'm so glad I consulted with her.
Since we spent so much time considering the book, we had accumulated too much idea. The book had become unwieldy. In fact, according to my friend, we had two books on our hands.
Try to succinctly explain your book idea to someone really helps solidify your idea. The laser focus you can bring while giving someone the bare bones of your proposal can help form the idea, while also giving new energy to the project.
My friend was able to help me tease out the important bits of the project and left me with an enthusiasm to bring the proposal to fruition.
Do you have anyone you can turn to and explain a book idea? If so, I highly recommend starting the conversation.
If you are concerned about your idea being stolen, write it down on a piece of paper, date it and mail it to yourself. Keep the envelope sealed. Just in case you need to prove when you came up with the idea, the postmark serves as your proof system.
As for the superstitions, I'm not sure how to hold them at bay. Any ideas?

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