ASAP: Free Book Proposal Feedback for a Science Book!
Plus: Book Clubs that Might Share Your Book
Hello all!
I just wanted to share that Barbra Rodriguez, an experienced book reviewer and editor, is offering one nonfiction non-memoir writer a free book proposal review! She writes:
If any of you have a book proposal in the works that you'd like some feedback on soon, I'm offering this for free while formalizing my book coaching certification. You'd get written feedback on the proposal, and on the first two chapters-or 20 pages-of your manuscript, and an hour Zoom call to go over the editorial letter summarizing my findings.
I've been a science/health writer for a decade+, and still write/edit for conservation orgs, a national lab, and the State of Texas (updating physician ed. modules). I’ve focused book editing/coaching on self-help and How To, but have worked on all kinds of NF for indie clients and publishers. There are requirements for the length of the proposal's main content (5-9,000 words) and 2 sample chapters (5,000 words), and that the proposal include all the typical elements. I plan to start into the review 7/18, so there would be some time to finalize content.
I am certified by Author Accelerator as a book coach for memoir and fiction already, using the same process. I hope to be Messaging with someone on this all soon, followed by email, as there is an intake form and conversation required by the certifier that happens before I select someone next week. Thank you!
Barbara doesn’t want her email shared publicly so drop me a line and I’ll forward you. Include some brief explanation of you/your book, or even just a link to your website or LinkedIn or something relevant, whatever you can include to make Barbara’s job of selecting someone a little easier.
I think she wants someone soon, so try to email me today (July 8) or tomorrow (July 9) if you have a nonfiction non-memoir book proposal ready to be reviewed!
On Book (Reading) Clubs:
This is the opposite of that last thing. The book proposal is for people at the beginning of their book-writing journey (for nonfiction non-memoir.) The following information is more useful for people towards the end (ie, those who have published any time in the past or will publish their book soon.) If that’s not you, maybe this is something you should bookmark for the future. You can put it on your To-Do list if you have one in AirTable or some other program that is specific to your book project. Or put it in your Google Calender N years from now when you hope the book is out.
I don’t have any experience with book clubs so I can’t comment on how hard it is to get featured or what kind of sales they generate. However, I do think it would be very fun to hear people talk about my book, and I will, at the very least, send some DM’s suggesting my book Carcass to these two book clubs when it’s out. Furthermore, as much as I love money, and I do, I think I speak for many of us when I say that making an impact on your readers is also extremely important. Even if a book club doesn’t result in many sales dollars, I really want people to read and think about my book, and I think a book club is a great way to inspire that to happen. Hope Clark, a fiction writer, discussed her experience attending a book club meeting featuring one of her books here.
Ingram Sparks (which targets self-publishers, keep in mind) has this article on how to get your book in front of book clubs. If you’re traditionally publishing, talk to your publisher about all this. They might have a guide, insights, an in with the organizer, and more book clubs on their rolodex to pitch. I bet they’ll send a free copy or galley/advance reader copy (ARC) to them, too!
Science Nonfiction Book Club
Science Friday published a list of the Best Summer Science Reading. Lots of these books are in our wheelhouse and several of the authors run in our circles, so check them out! Through that, I learned that SciFri hosts a book club. Many of your books would fit right in!Morbid/Dark Nonfiction Book Club
Consider the Morbidly Curious Book Club. I asked them on Instagram, and they said they do accept suggestions for which book to add to the club next, although they’re full up until 2026. If your book has been published or will be published, say, before 2027, perhaps reach out about getting your book on the list or maybe offer to get your publisher to send them a galley/ARC. Again, talk to your publisher, first, though.
They also have quite a few local chapters in cities like Austin TX, Long Beach, CA, Asheville, NC, Oklahoma City, OK, and Boston, MA. And virtual.A More Local Book Club?
I was thinking it might be fun to attend a book club meeting for your book—maybe at the beginning or the end of the reading, to answer questions and give some insight. That would be cool, you’d be like a celebrity, I think.
I knew there would be no chapters of the Morbidly Curious Book Club in my entire state because that’s just how it is. (I had to leave the state to get my bike tires installed once.) However, I remembered hearing that my local library has at least one book club! A lot of stuff around here is sort of word-of-mouth, basically nonexistent online. Maybe it will be awkward (or even more exciting?) for the small-town residents to read my book because there are many mentions of the town and a few of its residents in Carcass.
Upcoming Meeting Reminder
Authors’ Meeting July
Thursday, July 25 · 5:00PM PST/6 MST/ 7 CST / 8 EST
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/pfd-vqka-omx
I’m happy to hear your thoughts on any of the above discussions at the meeting or in the comment section!