Tell Us Where Your Book Fits

How to Write the Complementary Titles Section for a Book Proposal

Jim Almo
The Pragmatic Programmers

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When you’re writing a technical nonfiction book proposal, the complementary titles section shows a publisher where your book fits into the roster and how it adds to the knowledge and expertise of the overall catalog.

Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash

Part sample and part business plan, your technical nonfiction book proposal is one of the most critical parts of signing a contract with a publisher. I won’t lie to you; writing a book proposal takes work. Like many endeavors, though, all that work pays off. A strong book proposal brings focus to your book, which makes it more appealing to your favorite publisher.

If you are thinking about writing a technical book and are not sure where to start, it can be as simple as sending an email to the publisher to express interest.

While a book proposal has several distinct sections, it’s not as complicated as it initially seems once you break it down. Think back to those high school research papers. You probably had due dates for…

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