"The story of two friends, Frank and Harold, who do everything together and want to ride a roller coaster. But one of them is not tall enough. What are these friends to do?"--

Want to publish your book? Learn how--it's easier than you think! Charismatic authors and literary agents Jeff Herman and Deborah Levine Herman have successfully sold nearly 1,000 titles and learned--through trial and error--how to write a flawless book proposal that publishers can't resist. Now you can benefit from their hard work and publishing savvy. In this new edition to the bestselling guide, they offer guidance and advice that will inspire, educate, and, most importantly, give you the necessary edge to get your book published. They explain: * How to shape your idea and create a title * Ways to get to know the market and competition * Tips on writing an effective outline, query letter, and sample chapter * The art and science of fiction and nonfiction book proposals * How ten actual proposals (updated and included here) were successfully sold to publishers--and why * How to capitalize on the evolving publishing industry, including e-books and social media ""A submission from Jeff Herman always gets moved to the top . . . his new book will show you how to move to the top.""--Frederic W. Hills Vice President, Simon & Schuster ""This book will take writers to the highest level of proposal writing and success.""--Roger Cooper Quality Paperback Book Club ""If you want your proposal to ignite a busy editor's interest, read this book.""--Adrienne Hickey Senior Acquisitions Editor, AMACOM Books