You want to publish a book, but you don’t know where to start.

That's normal. Scholarly book publishing is an opaque process—whether you've been through it before or not.

The Book Proposal Shortcut for Busy Scholars takes the guesswork out of pitching your book to scholarly publishers.

The Shortcut is structured with the time and labor pressures of academic life in mind. The program packages up the essential info you need and breaks it down into manageable modules that you can sprint through in a week or dip in and out of over a semester or summer.

The results: an outstanding book proposal, a list of best-fit presses, and a submission strategy personalized to your own goals and timeline.


Instead of confusion you'll have clarity. Instead of intimidation you'll feel confidence. Instead of stuck, you'll be in control and prepared for the next step of your publishing path.


Who should take this course

The Book Proposal Shortcut is for scholarly authors who are ready to do the work of writing a book proposal—and want to be sure they're doing the right work. It’s designed specifically for:

  • People who are fitting their writing in around research, teaching, service, and personal commitments.

  • People who can set aside several days to draft their proposal in one go

  • First-time authors

  • Authors with multiple books on their CVs

  • Writers who find structure helpful in expediting their drafting process

  • Practical-minded writers who appreciate nuts-and-bolts advice and step-by-step instructions to prevent overthinking

  • Writers who already have a full book manuscript drafted

  • Writers who have an idea for a book and want to use the course to map out a plan for writing their manuscript

The Shortcut is not intended for scholars who are still completing a dissertation. The information may be illuminating for dissertation writers, but you will see better results with publishers if you let your diss rest for a bit before trying to pitch it as a book. If you're looking for a preview of the book publishing process, I recommend checking out The Book Proposal Book: A Guide for Scholarly Authors.


“
I signed up for the Shortcut during a semester’s teaching-leave where I knew I would have a dedicated amount of time to devote to my book proposal. The Shortcut helped me structure my time, meet small goals at my own pace, and think long-term about the book proposal but also my larger goals in writing a book. I highly recommend to any scholar preparing a book proposal who is looking for some guided structure at their own pace.              

— Assistant professor, Canada



How does it work?

The Book Proposal Shortcut for Busy Scholars is self-paced. Once enrolled, you'll get access to the curriculum that will guide you step by step through the process of identifying best-fit presses, crafting an outstanding book proposal, and formulating a personalized submission strategy. 

The course includes:

  • 6 compact modules with lessons in written, video, and audio formats so you can consume the content however you like

  • examples of successful proposals and letters to publishers written by former participants

  • a resource library of handouts and worksheets to help you complete your proposal

  • complimentary enrollment in Manuscript Works Author Support, a private hub for expert advice and camaraderie at every stage of your book publishing journey

Having personally helped hundreds of scholars navigate the scholarly book publishing process, I've made sure the curriculum addresses all the most common questions and sticking points that I've seen come up again and again. But if you still have questions after viewing a lesson, you can post right in the lesson and I will answer directly, usually within just a day or two.

As a Shortcut enrollee you will be eligible to join Manuscript Works Author Support, a private hub where you can connect with me and other authors to get expert advice on every step of your book publishing journey, from submission strategy to peer review to contract negotiation to book promotion. You will be invited to quarterly live Q&A sessions where you can ask questions, celebrate your progress, and hear from other authors at every stage of the process.

“

I found the Book Proposal Shortcut incredibly easy to use and very motivating. I appreciated how easy it was to just tackle a few segments at a time, which makes it perfect even for brief windows in between classes for example. Also, I loved all the short prompts in there; I had never thought of how to describe my project in a one-liner, and the pointers for doing so were very generative.  

— Professor, Lebanon



Photograph of Laura Portwood-Stacer

Hi, I'm Laura Portwood-Stacer, creator of the Book Proposal Shortcut. I'm a professional developmental editor and publishing consultant and the author of The Book Proposal Book: A Guide for Scholarly Authors (Princeton University Press, 2021). My book, webinars and courses have helped thousands of academic writers navigate the proposal writing and book publishing processes, with clients landing contracts at competitive university presses such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Chicago, University of California, Duke, Minnesota, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge, and many more.

As an author of two books myself (with a third under contract), I know how difficult the process can be on both practical and emotional levels. I aim to bring empathy and honesty to demystifying the norms of scholarly publishing so that everyone who goes through my programs leaves feeling energized and empowered to make their publishing goals happen.

“

Following Laura’s advice and drawing on the examples provided in the Shortcut, I sent an inquiry to an editor at my top choice press and got a very friendly reply the next day encouraging me to submit a proposal and a sample chapter. So I feel that I’ve already got my money’s worth! I’ll continue to refer to the materials in the Shortcut as I move ahead with this project.

— Professor, North Carolina



FAQ

Is there a time limit on my access to the Shortcut course?

No, you'll have lifetime access to the Shortcut. You can use it to map out a concept for your book now, then come back in a few months (or years) when you’re ready to send it to publishers. You can use the course for as many books as you want.

How will the Shortcut help me if I've already read The Book Proposal Book?

The core principles underlying the Shortcut and The Book Proposal Book are the same. But the information is packaged a bit differently in the Shortcut course, with an emphasis on delivering the most essential information in the most efficient way.

The Shortcut also includes:

  • many more examples of successful proposals from a variety of fields
  • multiple formats for those who prefer to learn from video or audio over the written word
  • the ability to ask questions in real time and receive expert answers
  • complimentary enrollment in the Manuscript Works Author Support community


And some people just find it more motivating to work through a course than to read a book and apply it on their own. If that sounds familiar, the Shortcut is for you!

I'm torn between the Shortcut and the Book Proposal Accelerator. What's the difference?

The Shortcut is designed to be completed at any time and at any pace that works for you. The Accelerator takes place over a fixed time period (usually six to seven weeks) and is only offered once or twice per year.

The content included in the Shortcut and the Accelerator is identical, but the Accelerator is more interactive. The Accelerator is a good fit for people who like working alongside a cohort of others and who want direct feedback on their progress. The Shortcut is therefore more budget-friendly.

Both programs come with the ability to ask questions in real time and receive expert answers, as well as complimentary enrollment in the Manuscript Works Author Support community.

I've already published a book. How will the Shortcut help me?

The Shortcut gives you the structure and support you need to complete an outstanding book proposal and formulate an intentional submission strategy for scholarly publishers. If you fumbled through the process your first time around and would like to feel more in control of achieving your vision for your next book, the Shortcut would be a great fit for you.

Will the Shortcut work for non-academic books or publishers?

The material in the Shortcut is geared specifically toward academic authors and scholarly publishers such as university presses. The principles I teach in this course can help you write a strong proposal for a serious nonfiction book that is not necessarily academic. However, I don’t cover how to build a platform as a trade author or how to find a literary agent (which you may need if you want to pitch a large commercial publisher). I also don’t cover proposals for fiction, poetry, or memoir. If you have no interest in scholarly books or publishers, you can probably find another course better suited to your needs.

“

What attracted me to the Book Proposal Shortcut is the flexibility, the sense of structure and overview that it provides and step by step approach. This makes writing a book proposal manageable and also less daunting and anxiety-inducing. I feel like I can tackle the writing process much better than if I were to write the proposal without the course. This is my first time writing a book proposal so I’m grateful for the detailed guide and support that you provide along the way. I know I can do the course in my own time and in bits and chunks as suits my schedule. Also, the timeframe for the course is extremely generous. I don’t have to rush to complete it and can take my time to learn an extra thing or two. In short, I’m excited about the course as it suits my needs and provides the kind of support that I actually need.

— Lecturer, Australia



Ready to enroll?

If you want to make progress on selling the book you know the world needs to read, now’s the time.

If you’re unemployed, precariously employed, or enrolling without financial support from your institution, use coupon code SHORTCUT10 at checkout for a 10% discount.