Most first non-fiction proposals fail for fixable reasons: a blurry audience, thin sample chapters, and vague comparison titles. Here is what editors notice, and how to correct it before you submit.

A practical guide to seasonal reading periods at independent presses, helping fiction writers, poets, and essayists time submissions to when editors are actually reading.

A practical checklist for small-press non-fiction proposals, covering platform summaries, chapter outlines, market analysis, sample material, and the final polish that helps editors say yes.