Strategy Hour | Online Marketing for Business Growth · Abagail Pumphrey - Business Strategist

Behind the Scenes: Writing a Non-Fiction Book Proposal

·33 min·2 clips

The book started as an entrepreneur book, but Abigail says it is becoming a mirror for people trapped by society's version of success.

1. Strategy Hour | Online Marketing for Business Growth turns to the topic of writing a nonfiction book proposal and the traditional publishing path. 2. Abigail Pumphrey is the host, Boss Project founder, and former layoff-to-seven-figure business owner whose book process is the focus. 3. The episode asks what a nonfiction proposal requires and why Abigail is choosing traditional publishing despite other routes. 4. Abigail says she is about 75% done with her book and hopes to send it to agents in the next few weeks. 5. She explains that agents would take the proposal to editors, and editors would take it to a publishing board that decides whether the book gets published. 6. She says she wants the book to be representative of who she is now and still feel relevant 10, 15, or 20 years from now. 7. Abigail says hiring a book coach was an investment she did not expect, but it has helped create accountability and forward motion. 8. She says the book coach expects progress and review, which keeps the project moving when she would otherwise get stuck. 9. She says nonfiction publishing usually buys a proposal first, while fiction typically requires a completed manuscript. 10. She says publishers look at the author, the existing audience, comparable titles, and whether the concept fills a gap in the market. 11. Abigail says comparable titles matter because publishers want proof that similar books have sold well. 12. She argues that many people underestimate how many nonfiction book openings still exist, even in crowded online niches. 13. She says a proposal usually includes a working title, a concept, a hook, background about the author, the ideal reader, and a marketing plan. 14. She says publishers care about follower counts, platform size, and professional connections, which can give a project a better chance. 15. Abigail says the table of contents and annotated outline need enough detail to show the book could not be reduced to a short article. 16. She says her coach originally asked for about 3,000 words per chapter, then cut her introduction from 3,000 words to 1,500 words and pushed her to combine material. 17. The episode sounds like a candid solo update with repeated self-corrections, laughter, and a brief apology for sounding congested after crying. 18. Abigail also describes writing on her phone, journaling during a walk or in bed, and using stream-of-consciousness notes to keep ideas flowing. 19. People interested in nonfiction book proposals, publishing logistics, or writing a book from an online business background would get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a tightly edited strategy episode without personal process details may skip it.

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