C.: hey, d.c., I thought you wanted to start writing our blog early today.
d.: Just a minute Cal.E., I want to get through watering my new grass.
C.: d.c., you do know that it’s supposed to storm this afternoon, don’t you?
d.: Yes, Cal.E., I do. That’s why I wanted to get through watering my grass before we started on our blog. If it started raining before I got all the new grass watered, I would need to start all over again when it stopped raining.
C.: ??!! (I think d.c. has forgotten more than he ever learned about horticulture when he was working with my dad.) Well, maybe I could start, if you tell me what you want to talk about.
d.: Okay, let me text you what I have so far of my book description for my nonfiction book.
C.: I thought you just need to send out a query letter for that.
d.: No, Cal.E., for a nonfiction book, I need to make a book proposal. That involves a book description, a sample chapter, and five comp. titles, complete with ISBN numbers and a brief description of those books. It’s even more work than trying to sell a fictional novel, and that’s not easy.
C.: Okay, email or text me what you have so far.
d.: I only have a rough draft so far, but here it is:
Beyond the Thirteenth Mile: The Iron Man Chronicles offers a unique perspective of the training for and competing in this challenging event. At the beginning of each chapter, the author shows the thoughts that were running through his head during each leg while competing in this event. He uses these thoughts to juxtapose the training for and competing in this event against the challenging events he faced in his life during his training while working a physically demanding full-time job and starting a new family,. This made beating the time limit at the Great Floridian Ironman distance triathlon the ultimate high for him. Please join author and new triathlete d.c. scot as he brings you the chronicle of events leading up to him competing in the ultimate one-day test of physical fitness, mental toughness, endurance, and strategizing.
C.: This seems a little short, d.c.
d.: It’s short on purpose, Cal.E. A book summary should only be around two hundred words. The publisher wants to see if an author can get his or her point across with an economy of words.
My book was written short on purpose, because I wanted people who had little time to read due to training and other responsibilities to be able to read the whole book in one sitting. I suppose that the editors at publishing companies are also pressed for time, so brief and to the point is the best way to go.
C.: But won’t it take more time to read through all the other stuff you send them?
d.: I suppose it will, Cal.E., but reading the description will tell the editor if the book may be worth printing. An editor doesn’t want to waste time reading a long description of a book that won’t sell. Hopefully, our readers will chime in and let me know if this description makes them curious enough to want to read this book.
C.: That’s a good idea, d.c. the editors may be interested in how many of the people respond positively or even negatively.
d.: That would be helpful.
C.: Well, from this description of your book, I gather a triathlete burns a lot of calories while training and competing. It’s making me hungry for a sandwich from our favorite sandwich shop. Would you like one, too?
d.: That would be great! I’d like a Philly cheesesteak sandwich with all the vegetables it will hold if you don’t mind.
C.: I don’t mind, d.c. And while you’re at the sandwich shop getting your sandwich, would you mind getting me one of those same kind of sandwiches for me, please? I’ll pay you back for it as soon as I win the lottery.
d.: That’s all the time we have for today, folks, because it looks like I’m flying and buying today.