Who This Tool Is For
Book Proposal Builder is for nonfiction authors who need a professional book proposal to submit to literary agents or publishers. It works for:
- Writers who have never written a proposal and don't know where to start
- Authors with a manuscript who want a complete proposal built through a guided conversation
- Writers who have already drafted parts of their proposal and want expert section-by-section feedback
- Authors with a finished proposal who want a full developmental review before submitting
You do not need to know anything about proposal structure. The tool guides you through everything.
The Three Paths
From the Welcome screen you have three entry points:
| Button | Use this when... |
|---|
| Begin My Proposal | You are starting fresh. The tool interviews you, analyzes your manuscript, and writes your complete proposal. |
| I Already Have a Proposal | You have an existing proposal -- upload your Word doc or paste sections -- and want to jump straight into the Developmental Editor. |
| Resume Where I Left Off | A gold banner appears if you have a session in progress. Click this to pick up exactly where you were. |
Your work is saved automatically. If you close the browser and return, the resume banner will appear. Your proposal, answers, and revision notes are all saved.
Path 1: Starting From Scratch
Step 1 -- Choose your mode
| Mode | What it does |
|---|
| Quick Build | Clear, focused questions at a steady pace. Best if you know your book well. |
| Deep Build / Guided | More time, more warmth, more depth. Best for memoir writers or anyone who wants a reflective process. |
Step 2 -- Upload your manuscript
Drop a Word (.docx), PDF, or text file -- or paste text directly. Even one chapter is enough. Then click Analyze My Manuscript.
Step 3 -- Review the AI summary
The AI writes a short summary of what it understood about your book. Confirm it is correct, or click I'd Like to Add Something to correct it.
Step 4 -- The interview
20 questions across six topics: The Book, The Audience, The Market, About You, The Content, Your Vision. Answer naturally -- press Enter to send, Shift+Enter for a new line. Your answers save automatically.
Be specific. A real moment, a specific title, a concrete detail -- these produce a much stronger proposal than general statements.
Step 5 -- Your Gold Outline
After the interview, the AI shows everything you said organized by topic. Click any line to edit it directly. When ready, click This Looks Right to move forward.
Step 6 -- Strength Scan (automatic)
The AI evaluates your answers and may ask 1-4 targeted follow-up questions to strengthen thin areas. Just answer naturally. If your answers are already strong, this step is skipped.
Step 7 -- Your proposal is written
Six sections are generated in real time: Overview and Hook, Target Audience, Market Analysis, About the Author, Chapter Outline, Manuscript Status. Takes about 30-60 seconds.
Step 8 -- Done screen buttons
| Button | What it does |
|---|
| Make This Stronger | Runs a polish pass -- tightens language, sharpens the hook. Does not change your facts or voice. |
| Download Word | Downloads your proposal as an editable .doc file. |
| Download PDF | Opens a print dialog -- choose Save as PDF. |
| Review My Proposal | Opens the Developmental Editor for section-by-section feedback. |
| Full Proposal Analysis | Runs the AI across all six sections at once and produces a complete review report. |
| Review My Outline | Returns to the Gold Outline to review your interview answers. |
| Start a New Proposal | Clears everything and starts fresh. Download first if you want to keep this one. |
Path 2: I Already Have a Proposal
From the Welcome screen, click I Already Have a Proposal. You will see two tabs:
| Tab | Use when... |
|---|
| Upload Word Doc | Your proposal is a .docx file. Drop it in or click Choose File. The tool automatically extracts each section using your Heading 1 styles. |
| Paste Sections | You don't have a Word doc, or the upload didn't parse correctly. Paste each section into the matching text box. |
For Upload to work correctly: Each major section of your proposal should be formatted as Heading 1 in Word (not bold text or all-caps). If your document uses a different style, use the Paste Sections tab instead.
Click Go to Developmental Editor to proceed.
The Developmental Editor -- Every Button
Navigation bar (dark bar at top)
| Button | What it does |
|---|
| Previous | Goes to the previous section. Your notes save automatically first. |
| Section X of N | Shows where you are. Section name appears below. |
| Full Report | Downloads a Word document with all reviewed sections, feedback, and your notes. |
| Next | Goes to the next section. Your notes save automatically first. |
Action buttons (below your notes area)
| Button | What it does |
|---|
| Re-run Feedback | Generates a fresh read of this section. Use after revising, or if you want a different perspective. |
| Download This Section | Downloads a Word doc with this section's text, feedback, and your notes. |
| Help Me Think Deeper | Generates 2-4 targeted follow-up questions based on your section, the feedback, and anything you've written in the notes. Questions appear in a green box below. Click again for a fresh set. |
Back to My Proposal
At the bottom of every section -- returns to the Done screen.
Understanding Your Feedback
Each section gets feedback across five areas:
| Field | What it tells you |
|---|
| WHAT'S WORKING | What is genuinely strong. Read this first so you know what to preserve when you revise. |
| WHAT NEEDS STRENGTHENING | What is unclear, thin, or missing. Honest but kind. |
| ONE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION | One concrete, actionable thing you can do. Just one -- focused and doable. |
| WHY THIS MATTERS | Why the improvement matters to an agent or publisher. |
| YOUR TURN | A warm writing prompt inviting you to rewrite this section in your own words. |
Help Me Think Deeper
This button generates targeted follow-up questions specific to your section, your feedback, and your notes. It is most useful when you feel stuck or want to dig deeper before writing your revision.
Best workflow:
- Read the feedback card fully
- Write a few notes in the My Response area -- even just your first reaction
- Click Help Me Think Deeper
- Read the questions and let them guide your thinking
- Write your revision
The questions get more targeted the more you have written in the notes area. Even one sentence of your thinking first makes a big difference.
Downloading Your Work
| Download option | What you get |
|---|
| Download Word (Done screen) | Your complete proposal as an editable .doc file. |
| Download PDF (Done screen) | Opens print dialog -- save as PDF for agent submissions. |
| Download This Section (Dev Editor) | One section: proposal text + feedback + your notes. |
| Full Report (Dev Editor nav bar) | All reviewed sections with feedback and notes, in one Word doc. |
| Download Review (Full Analysis) | Complete six-section developmental review report. |
FAQ
My browser closed. Can I get my work back?
Yes. When you return to the app, a gold banner will offer to Resume Where I Left Off. Your proposal, answers, and revision notes are all restored.
Can I edit the proposal text directly in the tool?
No -- the tool is for reviewing and revising. Download the Word version, edit there, then re-upload through I Already Have a Proposal to review the revised version.
What is the difference between Help Me Think Deeper and Your Turn?
Your Turn is a single writing prompt at the end of the feedback card. Help Me Think Deeper generates 2-4 follow-up questions that go further -- specific to your content, feedback, and notes. Your Turn gets you started. Help Me Think Deeper is for when you want to dig deeper first.
How much does it cost to use?
Each complete proposal costs roughly $0.15-$0.40 in Anthropic API usage. The Developmental Editor, Full Analysis, and Help Me Think Deeper each use a small amount of API credit. Costs are minimal for typical use.
Is my writing stored on a server?
No. Your text and answers are stored only in your browser's local storage on your own computer. They are not retained on any server after your session ends.
What should I do with my proposal after downloading?
- Read through and make personal edits in Word or Google Docs
- Research agents who represent your genre -- QueryTracker.net is free
- Follow each agent's specific submission guidelines
- Send the PDF version when attaching to emails
- Keep the Word version as your editable working document