Book proposal support for scholars

FORTHCOMING

Sample Book Proposals

A strategic

first reader

for

scholarly

book

proposals

For scholars writing books in the humanities and social sciences.

Forthcoming is run by me, Dr Simon Ferdinand. With a decade’s experience as a developmental editor and as a published author myself, I help scholars frame book projects so that their work reaches publishers in its strongest possible form.

Tell me where things stand with your book project and we can discuss the best way forward.

GET IN TOUCH

Whatbringsyouhere?

Ways forward

You do not need a consultant to publish a book. Many excellent books reach print through persistence alone. What I offer is an experienced outside eye, helping scholars navigate the uncertainty of submission and giving projects a greater chance of advancing to print.

I read your proposal as a commissioning editor would—but instead of a decision, you receive a detailed, honest response: what is working, what may be holding the project back, and how it could be framed more strategically.

Strategy Call
from €200
A focused one-hour conversation on your publication strategy.
A focused one-hour conversation on a publication-related topic of your choosing. We might discuss how a project could be framed for a particular press or readership, how to approach an editor before formal submission, or how to interpret and move past a rejection. If you would like to discuss a specific proposal in detail, a Proposal Assessment (see below)—with or without a follow-up call—will ensure I have read it properly rather than approaching it at one remove.
Proposal Assessment
from €500
A detailed written report on your proposal’s logic and viability.
A written report on your proposal, reading it as an acquisitions editor would: with no prior relationship to the project, and focused entirely on whether it is legible, persuasive, and viable for a press. The report is engaged and intensive—typically at least 1,000 words—and is based on a short form you complete beforehand, which gives me the context I need and lets you flag the specific questions you would like me to address. Although I will give you a clear-eyed outside view of the proposal, I am aware of scholars’ investment in their work and will always phrase my feedback with care and with a view to what can be strengthened.
Proposal Assessment and Strategy Call
from €650
A detailed written report followed by a strategy session.
The written report, followed by an hour-long call to discuss it together. This is a chance not only to receive detailed written feedback but to discuss how best to act on it and work through any questions that arise from the report. For scholars preparing a significant first submission or rethinking a proposal after a pattern of rejections, this combination is a useful starting point. Repeated readings and strategy calls can be arranged at a slightly reduced rate.

From my editing clients

“It is my pleasure to recommend Simon Ferdinand, who edited my book proposal within a very short time, in a professional way while being always open for dialogue.”

Dr Yael Munk

Senior lecturer in literature, language and the arts, Open University of Israel

“My experience with Simon has been truly positive. … He attends to the text very carefully, considering every little detail while also keeping an eye on the logic of the whole piece, and the genre-related expectations. He is reliable in communication and perfectly clear in his advice.”

Dr Anna Nikolaeva

Assistant professor in urban planning, University of Amsterdam

GET IN TOUCH

Questions YouMight Have

Even if you are still at the stage of thinking about a book project rather than writing a proposal, an early conversation can be valuable. A great deal can be done to position a project and court editors well before a formal submission. If you already have a draft proposal in hand, all the better: that is a good moment to refine it before it reaches an editor’s desk.

Rejection is to be expected when approaching reputable presses, and a single rejection says little. If a proposal has been turned down on multiple occasions, though, it is likely that something in its framing or positioning would benefit from a fresh perspective. A strategy session can be especially useful here, allowing you to step back and think about the submission in the round.

A proposal that cannot articulate its value beyond a narrow circle of specialists is unlikely to secure a contract, however strong the underlying research. An acquisitions editor will usually encounter your project not as the leading expert in the subfield, but as an educated general reader focused on whether the book is legible, persuasive, and viable for a press. It is therefore wise to share a proposal with an intelligent reader from outside the field. My own research, teaching, editing, and consultancy work has ranged widely across the humanities and social sciences, and I am confident engaging meaningfully with projects from across those fields.

Input from supervisors and peers can be valuable at any stage of a project. But in practice, many colleagues read others’ proposals in passing, alongside their own teaching, writing, supervision, and administrative work. I offer concentrated attention to the proposal itself, along with long experience of the particular demands of the genre. The task is not only to assess the project’s intellectual substance, but to judge how clearly and persuasively that substance is being presented to a press.

The easiest way to begin is by sending me a message from the contact page—a brief note about your project and what kind of support for which you are looking is enough. I will reply personally and suggest the most useful next step. If you would prefer to speak first, a free introductory call of around 20 minutes is also available, with no obligation.

Whatbringsyouhere?

Ways forward

Strategy Call

Proposal Assessment

Proposal Assessment and Strategy Call

FirstReader

Questions YouMight Have

When is the right time to get in touch?

What if my proposal has already been turned down?

I work in a specialised field. Can you engage meaningfully with my project?

How is this different from the feedback I might get from colleagues?

What happens when I get in touch?