Your journey to publication starts with a frank discussion of what you need to know before you begin. You’ll get the inside scoop on what agents and editors are really looking for (hint: it’s better to offer a fresh take on a tried-and-true topic than to suggest something wildly original) and how to augment your proposal with your credentials, platform, and personality. Last but not least, learn how to avoid getting derailed by the most common mistakes and distractions that plague 99% of aspiring authors.

Just like a business needs to be focused on its customers, as an author you need to understand your future readers on a deep level. Who are they? What problem are you helping them solve? What other books and solutions are they using right now? Learn how to research your readers and uncover insights that will help you write a book that speaks to an audience that will be receptive to your message.

Right now, you probably have an idea for a book. But that idea is like an unpolished gem. In this module, you’ll clarify and polish that book idea into a core concept that’s tight, appealing, and marketable. Learn the 3 questions you need to be able to answer to craft a compelling journey for the reader, and how to turn your brain dump into concise bullets and universal themes that you can expand into a satisfying and engaging book.

Chapter summaries are the second-most important part of your proposal, and for good reason—they’re the bones of your book. This is where you start to add structure to all the ideas you’ve brainstormed and crafted. Through lessons and examples, you’ll learn how to write an effective chapter summary that appeals to agents and editors. Along the way, you’ll learn to infuse this section with your own voice and personality.

The first few paragraphs of your book proposal are called the overview, because they give a big-picture overview of what your book is about. Not only is the overview the most important part of your proposal—it could turn out to be the single most important thing you ever write. You’ll learn what to include, what not to include, and how to create a strong opening with a motivational close that propels readers into the rest of your proposal.

Successful authors write with a clear target market in mind. And in this module, you’ll learn how to research your target market like a pro, starting with demographics, psychographics, and market proof. You’ll categorize your readers into three tiers—primary, secondary, and tertiary—and illustrate reader avatars in your book proposal.

Publishers don’t like risk. They want to know there are readers out there who are already buying books on your topic. That’s where your comparative analysis comes in. You’ll learn how to find comp titles that give publishers the reassurance they need that there are buyers out there for your book, and helps guide them in understanding where your book fits in the market.

These days, authors are expected to market their own books. But don’t worry—it doesn’t have to be scary. In this module you’ll learn how to think of your platform in buckets (some will be more full than others), and to focus on the few buckets that are most important for you. One particularly important lesson in this module is how to craft a pre-launch strategy that incentivizes early buyers. When done right, this can help catapult your book onto bestseller lists.

Time to finish your book proposal strong, with a professional bio and compelling sample chapters. Learn how to choose which chapters to include—chapters that show the cornerstone of your work or include a tipping-point moment. Last but not least, start writing your chapters quickly and efficiently using quick 20-minute sprints that keep writer’s block at bay.

A good agent is an invaluable business partner who shares your passion and vision. And in this module, you’ll find, research, and query agents. Learn the secrets of writing a query letter that grabs an agent’s attention, and submit your proposal in a way that maximizes your chance of landing an agent who’s a great fit for you, your book, and your aspirations as a writer.