What are sample chapter, outlines and synopses?
A. Many book publishers request sample chapters, outlines and synopses for nonfiction book proposals. The outline gives a brief summary of the entire content of the proposed book, followed by a chapter-by-chapter synopsis showing the organization of the book and what angle of the subject each chapter will contain; the sample chapters show the writer’s style and writing ability. It is a good idea to include the first chapter, a chapter from the center of the book showing some highlight or climax, and the concluding chapter, unless the publisher’s listing in 2002 Writer’s Market indicates he wishes to see consecutive chapters. Authors who send only the first chapter or two (since the latter chapters have not been written) are sometimes disappointed by rejection, since they had not planned the book sufficiently to bring it to a well-rounded conclusion. Although contracts may be issued on a book proposal, sometimes called “selling the partial,” some publishers accepting general books from
