Lessons+Learned+at+College+Book+Proposal

I. Proposal
 * 1) Title and Basic Sales Point: (two sentences). **The title will be something along the lines of "Vodka Is Not a Sterilizer (And Other College Rules)"; although, I feel that I would like to spice the title up a bit by adding in an adjective or something along those lines. My basic sales point is to appeal to people in their 20's or perhaps even older who have attended or who are attending college. It is meant to be relatable to those who have crazy college experiences.**
 * 2) Synopsis/ Description: describe the scope, purpose, and significance or value in 1-2 paragraph. Be positive but not bombastic; be specific about the overall aims of the book. **The scope or purpose of my book is to overall tell crazy stories about fun times at college, passing lessons learned on to those waiting to experience it. Growing up in a family with three older brothers, they were always telling me crazy stories about their past experiences and instructing me not to do as they did. When I was a sophmore in college, my roommates and I were sitting around the table on evening telling all of the crazt stories we had from freshman year. Randomly, my roommate Ali got out a piece of paper and a marker and began writing down all of the rules that we had learned thus far in college based on our stories. For example, when I was a freshman, I got drunk one night and let my friend's cousin pierce my nose with a starter needle sterilized with Vodka. It later became infected, and I had to take it out. The lesson learned was- "never let your friend's cousin pierce your nose and use Vodka as the sterilizer." That is what Ali wrote on the paper. Each time something crazy happened to us, we would write the resulting rule on the piece of paper. The last I saw it, the list was about four or five pages long.**
 * Everyone has a crazy time in college. We all of at least one story that turns our cheeks red when we tell it, or we all have a story about one night that we can't believe actually happened. I have told my crazy stories to several friends who weren't present when they occured, and all of them find them both funny and entertaining. I think of this and how everyone enjoys my stories, and I wonder how many of my friends have stories just as crazy, if not crazier, than my own. I want my book to be an opportunity for others to share their stories with me and get them out there. My plan is that my friends will write the stories on their own and then email them to me. I will then edit the stories and organize them to compliment each other in a book format. I will also credit my friends as the authors, or if they wish I will put the author as anonymous. I feel that once it is completed, my book will be entertaining and realistic. I feel that anyone will enjoy reading these fun and crazy stories.**
 * 1) Outline or TOC: what will be included; list titles and authors if it is a collection; describe each chapter or section in a sentence or two. **Several stories will be included in the book. Titles will vary, and, if I decide to break the book up into sections, then I will decide the order and organization after I have collected all of the stories. The authors will be my friends. I will include their names unless they ask me to put by anonymous.**
 * 2) Authors' background (when applicable). **My background is full of crazy college stories, and that is what inspired me to come up with this concept. People always love hearing my stories, and I'm sure the audience of my book will love hearing the crazy stories of others.**
 * 3) Sample chapter(s): no more than two. If you are writing an introduction or preface, this would be useful to include. Make the selection "representative" not atypical. **I have not been able to put together any chapters yet, since I am still waiting for others to send my stories that I can edit through. I plan to put it together in the form of an anthology.**
 * 4) Materials/Apparatuses: length, plans for illustrations, index, glossary, etc. **The materials needed for the completed product are uncertain at this time, and I plan to explore it more as the project comes together. I will not need an index or glossary for my book, and, if I am able, I would love to accompany some stories with pictures.**
 * 5) Market / Audience: What is the intended reader for this book? Does it appeal to more than one group? How do the style and the content fit a need? What "category" does this book belong in? For example, if it is an educational text, what age student in what kinds of courses would be likely to read it? **I feel that my book could appeal to anyone who has ever been to college or had a crazy experience. In my opinion, my piece will have a broad audience. On the other hand, college is very different for today's generation than it is for past years, because today we have several multimedia sources that allow us to share everything. I feel that many older people could have two different reactions to my book: they will either love the stories, thinking back to their own past experiences, or they will think negatively about it because they are now parents and don't want to think about their children carrying on as the stories will describe. It fits the need for entetainment. At the end of the day when everyone is finished reading everything that they need to read, whether they be textbooks, office newsletters, or emails, my book will provide entertainment and a good laugh.**
 * 6) Competition: Describe other projects that are comparable. Discuss differences and similarities, explaining what makes your project distinctive or of competitive value. Several specific titles should be mentioned. **I'm not certain if there will be much competition in the class with my book. I feel that my idea is original and will not be common amongst my peers.**

‍II. Publishing Plan

 * 1) Where will you get the material - **I will get my material from myself (telling my own stories), and also from my friends. They can either email me their stories or message them to me on Facebook.**
 * 2) What is your timeline (and workflow) for acquisition, editing, layout, submission, proofreading, and production? **The first step in creating my book is collecting stories. I will be writing a few of my own, but I also need to work deligently to aquire stories from others. When I have enough stories to fill the number of pages needed, I will begin to edit them and organize them, so that they flow nicely together. Once I feel that the editing and layout is complete, I will begin proofreading and beginning production on the final product. Once production is underway and complete, I will begin to submit it!**
 * 3) What service will you use? And what are the "constraints" in terms of format, cost, or time you need to be aware of? **I am not very familiar with what services are available to making my book a reality. As I am introduced to service, I will decide which one can assist me best with what I envision. I need to be aware of how much time I have to put the book together, especially since I am mostly depending on others for my content. I need to make sure that my friends send me their stories in a timely fashion, so that I have enough time to work towards the final product. I will also need to be aware of costs. I would prefer to use a free service to help me put my book together, and I would also prefer to not spend too much money on any materials.**
 * 4) Does your service allow for some degree of actual marketing and sales (i.e. listing on Amazon)?