Shark Tank & Book Proposal Overviews

📚Make the first pages engaging AF

I’m Tawny, author of Dry Humping and co-author of The Sobriety Deck (Dec 2024), co-host of the Recovery Rocks podcast, and co-founder of the vinegar-based botanical beverage, (parentheses)

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Hola everyone! Last week’s impromptu publishing advice column did so well that I decided to answer another submitted question about Overviews in Book Proposals.

This question came at the perfect time as I prep for tonight’s Book Proposal 101: Stop Dreading It and Start Writing It. (There are still some spots left!) I also have a six-week Book Proposal Boot Camp starting June 5th.

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Dear Tawny,

I am in the process of writing my proposal and would love to learn how to approach the Overview. How do I balance making my proposal engaging while also introducing the book and connecting it to more global themes? Also, what information do I save for the chapter summaries?

-Seema

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Hey Seema! This is such an important question because the overview (also called a synopsis or a quick pitch) is the first piece of material an agent and editor will see in your book proposal. As they say, first impressions are important AF (or something like that).

A book proposal is a 60-ish-page document—written before the actual book—that answers two questions: Why Me? and Why Now?

Why me: Why am I the person to write this book?

Why now: Why is this topic so relevant that readers need my book *now?*

The overview distills those 60-ish pages into 1-2ish pages, setting the reader (agents and editors) up for what they’re about to read.

I like to think of the overview as the opening paragraph of an essay: You let the reader know what they’re about to read while establishing why you’re a trusted voice to tell this story. They (agents and editors) are about to read your 60ish-page book proposal to see if the publishing house’s acquisitions team wants to write you a check in exchange for your intellectual property (the book idea).

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Another way to look at a book proposal is similar to Shark Tank. It’s the Google Docs equivalent of standing in front of the sharks, asking them to give you money in the form of a hopefully decent-sized advance because your idea is that damn good. The book proposal’s overview is the elevator pitch before the sharks ask a bunch of questions.

OK if that sounds like a lot of pressure, that’s because it is. But pressure’s not always a bad thing. We put pressure on ourselves allllll the time so consider writing your overview as a contained place to apply gentle pressure so you can be extra kind to yourself elsewhere.

Your desire to include global themes is brilliant because that answers the “why now” portion. The overview is a great place to include relevant statistics about your topic, quotes from experts, links to recent bylines, and any other information that backs up the importance of your topic.

My overview included my own bylines and pieces *not* written by me to show that the New York Times, The Cut, and many other reputable sites were discussing the rise in dry dating. Again, this shows editors and agents that your topic is hyper-relevant (which means it can make them money), ultimately answering the “why now.”

Using these approaches to write your overview also answers your question about what to save for the chapter summaries. The sample chapters and chapter summaries should further expand your overview, solidifying your *why me.* Some folks write their overview last because writing the bulk of your proposal first can help you identify recurring themes that you can highlight in those first few pages.

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XO,

Tawny