Book Deal Blueprint

New
·

8 Weeks

·

Cohort-based Course

Write and sell a compelling nonfiction book proposal to land your first book deal!

Trusted by

Sourcebooks
Corwin Press
Kevin Anderson & Associates
Lucinda Literary
Forbes

Course overview

Think Like a Publisher and Pitch Your Book With Finesse

Most authors are passionate about their book - but they don't know how to sell it in a way that will catch agents' and editors' attention.


Here's the truth publishing insiders know: Publishing is a business, and editors are investors. Your book proposal is your best chance to convince agents and editors that taking a chance on your book is the right thing to do.


We'll help you think like a publisher.


In this 8-week course, we'll give you a tried-and-true template that has been used to sell dozens of book proposals to traditional publishers, teach you what agents and acquisitions editors look for in nonfiction proposals, and share our best tips for pitching successfully.


The best part is that whether you end up traditionally publishing or not, you'll have a fool-proof plan for making your book successful.


You've got the idea. Now learn how to sell it.

This course is right for you if...

01

You have a compelling nonfiction book idea that you've tested and refined.

02

You're ready to work hard to sell your book to agents, publishers, and readers.

03

You feel confident that traditional publishing is the best publishing model for your book!

What you’ll get out of this course

A proven template that has been used successfully by dozens of authors

There's no right proposal template, but it helps to have one that you know works! Ours has helped dozens of authors get traditional book deals. Including us!

Excerpts and examples from other deal-winning proposals

We have a library of successful book proposals for you to peruse so you can learn from what works.

Personalized feedback on each piece of your proposal

Each week, we'll ask you to submit part of your book proposal for feedback so you know how to pitch your work in the best light

A finished proposal that has a higher chance of success!

By the end of the course, you will have a finished proposal that positions your book for the market and attracts agents & publishers.

Query templates and pitching materials

We'll give you our best advice for querying and prepare you with the templates and materials you need!

This course includes

10 interactive live sessions

Lifetime access to course materials

23 in-depth lessons

Direct access to instructor

2 projects to apply learnings

Guided feedback & reflection

Private community of peers

Course certificate upon completion

Maven Satisfaction Guarantee

This course is backed by Maven’s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.

Course syllabus

Week 1

Jan 21—Jan 26

    A Business Plan for Your Book

    3 items

    Jan

    21

    Session 1

    Tue 1/217:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

Week 2

Jan 27—Feb 2

    All About Your Book Project

    4 items

    Jan

    28

    Session 2

    Tue 1/287:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

Week 3

Feb 3—Feb 9

    Positioning Your Book in the Market

    4 items

    Feb

    4

    Session 3

    Tue 2/47:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

Week 4

Feb 10—Feb 16

    Let's Talk About You - Your Platform!

    4 items

    Feb

    11

    Session 4

    Tue 2/117:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

    Feb

    14

    Workshop!

    Fri 2/141:00 AM—2:00 AM (UTC)

Week 5

Feb 17—Feb 23

    Owning Your Promotion Plan

    1 item

    Feb

    18

    Session 5

    Tue 2/187:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

Week 6

Feb 24—Mar 2

    Can You Really Deliver? Writing Your Sample Materials

    3 items

    Feb

    25

    Session 6

    Tue 2/257:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

Week 7

Mar 3—Mar 9

    Pitching to Agents & Publishers

    4 items

    Mar

    4

    Session 7

    Tue 3/47:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

    Mar

    7

    Workshop!

    Fri 3/71:00 AM—2:00 AM (UTC)

Week 8

Mar 10—Mar 11

    Next Steps

    2 items

    Mar

    11

    Session 8

    Tue 3/116:00 PM—7:00 PM (UTC)

What people are saying

        After participating in this course on writing a successful book proposal, I came away feeling deeply encouraged, supported, and worthy of the effort it takes to create a manuscript others would want to read. I have such a better understanding of the process and also a much clearer vision for what my book could be.
Jordan Williams

Jordan Williams

        Ariel drew on her years of experience in the publishing industry to help me navigate the components of a book proposal, equipping me to complete my proposal and giving me a strong understanding of ways to grow my platform and pitch to agents and publishers as well.
Liz Berget

Liz Berget

Author title

Meet your coaches

Ariel Curry

Ariel Curry

Ariel Curry is a senior editor for nonfiction at Sourcebooks. As an editor, she enjoys brainstorming and outlining new book ideas, bringing clarity and purpose to prose, and helping authors find resilience in their writing journey. When she’s not working on books, you can find Ariel practicing yoga, playing piano, or reading with a cup of coffee. She lives in Chattanooga, TN, with her husband, children, two dogs, a kitten, and a beehive.

The teaching, thoughts, and feedback expressed in this course are Ariel's own and in no way reflect an official opinion of Sourcebooks.

Liz Morrow

Liz Morrow

Liz Morrow is a traditionally-published ghostwriter for entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and business experts. She specializes in personal and professional development and memoir. Though she has experience in every piece of the pipeline—including book ideation, planning, positioning, editing, and marketing—writing has always been the part she loves most. She is proud to have worked with authors such as Grant Baldwin, Jeff Goins, Pat Flynn, and Whitney English and publishers such as Baker Books, Harper Horizon, Harper Leadership, and Hay House.

When she’s not writing, you can find Liz listening to long-form podcasts, rewatching The Office, and drinking margaritas with friends. She lives in Greenville, SC with her husband, two children, and goldendoodle.


A pattern of wavy dots

Join an upcoming cohort

Book Deal Blueprint

January 25 Cohort

$799

Dates

Jan 21—Mar 11, 2025

Payment Deadline

Jan 21, 2025
Get reimbursed

Course schedule

2-3 hours per week

  • Tuesday Teachings

    2:00pm - 3:00pm EST

    Live teachings are held every Tuesday from 2-3p ET, but don't worry! Participation is not required and if you can't make it live, sessions will be recorded for you to watch at your convenience.

  • Two Workshops

    2 hours

    We will be holding two workshops throughout this course so you can get help directly from Ariel and Liz as you write your proposal! Dates and times TBD.

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

Frequently Asked Questions

A pattern of wavy dots

Join an upcoming cohort

Book Deal Blueprint

January 25 Cohort

$799

Dates

Jan 21—Mar 11, 2025

Payment Deadline

Jan 21, 2025
Get reimbursed

$799

8 Weeks