How to Get a Non-Fiction Book Published

part 1: the proposal

Morgan Library and Museum, New York City

I’ve finally emerged, my head above the proverbial water for the first time in two months . . . because I submitted my book proposal to eleven agents yesterday. I’ve been working on this project all year—off and on—and intensely the last two months, pulling together a full proposal to try and sell this book. The first step: finding an agent. Well, let me say that again, the first step is the proposal, then the agent.

Here’s the elevator pitch for the book:

“When Jasper Johns' trusted studio assistant of twenty-eight years stole $13 million in artwork from the iconic artist's private vault, it wasn't your typical art heist. Drawing from his personal journals and private correspondence, James Meyer reveals for the first time how a smooth-talking gallery owner manipulated him into betraying his mentor, leading to the largest insider art theft of the century. Like Bad Blood meets the art world, this true crime narrative exposes not just a sensational theft, but an entire system designed to exploit those working in the shadows of greatness. Meyer's unprecedented insider account takes readers from the pristine walls of Johns' studio to the federal prison where he served eighteen months, while the real power players walked free.”

I’ve been working with James Meyer to write and interpret his story and we are at the point where it was time to send it out into the world to see if anyone else had an interest in it.

Let’s get into the how of the book proposal. A non-fiction book is sold on proposal. Essentially, you pitch an idea, explain why it’s marketable, how it would be marketed, what it will consist of, and then provide some sample chapters. If an agent (and then publisher) is interested, then you get a contract and actually write the full book. It’s a “safer” way of pitching because you don’t have to write the full book until you find out whether someone is interested in your idea or not, saving you time and money.

My proposal for this book, tentatively titled When the Devil Comes: A Story of Betrayal of Art Icon Jasper Johns, ended up being sixty-five pages long. Yes, that’s right—as long as many short books! It includes an overview, biographies of the authors, marketing plans, comparable book comparisons, outlines, and two sample chapters. The point isn’t so much to tell an agent what the book is about, per se, but rather to make a case for why publishing the book would result in sales (and thus money for you and the publisher).

As much as we’d like to think the book business is about art—it’s not. It’s about money. And a publisher is only going to buy your book if they think it will make them money.

I’ll keep you posted as to how I’m doing with finding an agent. I should hear something back within the next two months—if they are remotely interested. If they aren’t, I’ll never hear a word.

The only way to deal with this kind of uncertainty is to get on with the next project, which is what I’ve started on today. I’m back to working on my Ireland research. I have a couple of ideas for projects resulting from my research, and I’m excited to begin posting on that in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I’ll be going through the primary sources I’ve collected and reading into the secondary sources. The work is never done.