So that you wish to publish the subsequent nice e-book! To take action you first want a e-book proposal.
Again in late 2011, I spent hours placing collectively a e-book proposal for my severance negotiation technique e-book, How To Engineer Your Layoff.
After engineering my very own layoff three months earlier, I had hoped to get a literary agent, land a e-book deal, and spend the subsequent yr writing the e-book. Writing a e-book was at all times on my bucket listing. And what higher time to take action than after retiring on a seaside in Hawaii?
Alas, destiny had different plans. I submitted my e-book proposal to about 15 brokers and did not get a single reply again. Undaunted, and with the assistance of my dad and spouse, I made a decision to self-publish my e-book anyway.
I had been writing about retiring early since 2009 when Monetary Samurai started. Throughout this time interval, I handled my struggles of strolling away from a gentle paycheck at a younger age. I additionally met tons of of others on-line who struggled with the identical points.
We talked about overcoming the another yr syndrome to do one thing new. We even mentioned methods on the best way to persuade our spouses to work longer so we might retire earlier! I failed in that division.
Then it hit me. What if extra individuals might stroll away from their jobs with a departing monetary present? A severance package deal would assist ease the transition into early retirement, entrepreneurship, parenthood, schooling, or perhaps a new profession.
I knew I simply needed to publish the e-book.
My Rejected Guide Proposal Turned Out Positive
One of many explanation why I write from firsthand expertise is as a result of I prefer to know what’s significant and what’s not. Negotiating a severance package deal gave me the liquid braveness to stroll away from a six-figure job I disliked at age 34.
A severance package deal modified my life for the higher.
Not do I endure from power decrease again ache, sciatica, and TMJ because of the stress of working in finance. My hair stopped falling out and greying. My spouse and I have been lastly capable of have youngsters after years of attempting. And I bought to pursue my inventive aspect whereas being free!
How To Engineer Your Layoff has gone on to generate over $550,000 in income since 2012. When the gatekeepers do not offer you an opportunity, do it anyway! Don’t be deterred by rejection. Embrace it!
Through the first couple of years, HTEYL solely generated about $10,000 a yr in revenue. However after constantly increasing and revising the e-book, income have grown by 5X.
Certain, you are not dwelling it up on $50,000 a yr earlier than tax. You may’t even comfortably maintain a household of 4 with solely $50,000 both. However to me, $50,000 is an wonderful supply of passive earnings that was created from nothing.
As well as, if I have been to have gotten a e-book deal again in 2012, I in all probability would have accepted a e-book advance of as little as $25,000. Phew!
New Alternatives Come up If You Stick Issues Out Lengthy Sufficient
Eight years of writing later, on the finish of 2019, I lastly bought a e-book cope with a significant writer: Portfolio Penguin Random Home. I did not go on the lookout for one so no e-book proposal was obligatory. The provide got here to me by way of a chilly e-mail outreach.
As soon as the pandemic started in February 2020, I made a decision to put in writing my subsequent e-book, Purchase This Not That,
Wanting again, I recognize all of the rejections I’ve had in my life. The rejections make any success you could have all of the sweeter. Rejections are additionally extremely motivating to show your rejectors flawed! I really like them.
If you wish to develop into a printed creator, under is my rejected e-book proposal that ought to have been accepted. I have never learn this e-book proposal in 11 years. I simply occurred to have discovered it in my Google Drive paperwork once I was trying to find one thing else.
Upon re-reading the e-book proposal, I discovered it to be fairly good! Alas, I am biased.
Instance Of A Rejected Guide Proposal
Title: How To Engineer Your Layoff: Make A Small Fortune and Reside The Life You’ve All the time Wished
Submitted by
Sam Dogen
Tackle
Offered on June 15, 2012
I. THE CONTENT
A. Premise
In a latest research by Manpower Inc, 44% of respondents say they’re “unhappy” with their jobs. With roughly 138 million taxpayers in America, at the very least 61 million People are on the lookout for one thing extra significant to their jobs.
Go over to China, and that quantity is probably going within the tons of of tens of millions. Sadly, individuals really feel caught of their jobs due to payments to pay and debt obligations to satisfy. There’s a endless quantity of anxiousness skilled by tens of millions of employees.
Except one plans to work till demise, there’s at all times a backstop the place one not desires to work. Because of this, this e-book isn’t solely focused to the disgruntled employee, however to all employees.
How To Engineer Your Layoff will educate individuals the best way to strategically negotiate their layoff by constructing key relationships and deploying varied methods to make sure most return.
B. Distinctive Promoting Proposition
There are many books that present you the best way to get a job, however there are none that present you the best way to exit a job with a wholesome severance package deal.
It’s just like the age previous shopper criticism to his stockbroker that they at all times get suggestions on when to purchase, however by no means to promote. As an govt who has engineered his personal layoff, readers of this e-book will:
1) Understand staff have unbelievable authorized rights and aren’t simply discarded rag dolls in an ever rising world of company energy.
2) Learn to efficiently negotiate with giant companies with out the necessity for costly authorized council.
3) Examine success tales of particular person individuals who have engineered their layoffs.
4) Suppose critically about their monetary future in order that when the time involves separate, they are going to be greater than able to take the leap of religion.
5) Plan for all times after work.
C. Guide Overview
The manuscript shall be divided into 16 chapters consisting of a number of subjects.
Introduction
Desk Of Contents
Chapter 1: Take Again Your Life
Chapter 2: Your Worst Enemy Is Additionally Your Finest Good friend
Chapter 3: Time For A Coronary heart To Coronary heart With Your Boss
Chapter 4: When All Else Fails, Deliver In The Huge Weapons
Chapter 5: What To Look For Throughout Severance Negotiations
Chapter 6: Case Research Of Individuals Who Have Efficiently Been Let Go
Chapter 7: Negotiating A Separation Package deal When Becoming a member of A Competitor
Chapter 8: Grey Space Separation Maximization Strategies
Chapter 9: Why I Left My Job
Chapter 10: Life After Separation
Chapter 11: Rediscover Your Varied Earnings Streams
Chapter 12: Causes Why You Ought to Not Engineer Your Personal Layoff
Chapter 13: Causes Why You Ought to Engineer Your Layoff
Chapter 14: How To Retire Early And By no means Have To Work Once more
Chapter 15: Making Your Financial savings Work For You
Chapter 16: The Privilege Of Giving Again And Sharing Our Information
Conclusion
Assets
Acknowledgements
D. The Manuscript
1. Manuscript Standing: I’ve written 30,000 phrases up to now. With the framework in place, I’m ready to put in writing 55,000 extra phrases to complete the e-book. Moreover, I’ve over 100,000 phrases written in varied weblog posts from which I can draw info.
2. Particular Options: The chapters will include subheads, lists, bullet factors, and a assessment field of key factors for environment friendly studying.
3. Anticipated Size: 60,000-85,000 phrases.
4. Anticipated manuscript completion date: Roughly 60 days after receiving a dedication from the writer.
II. THE MARKET
A. Traits
There are 138 million taxpayers in America right this moment. Roughly 44% of employees within the newest survey by Manpower Inc revealed they’re “unhappy” with their job, and one other 20% who’re borderline.
In different phrases, greater than 60 million People want to do one thing else extra significant with their lives and logically engineer their very own layoffs.
The audience isn’t simply the disgruntled employee. Sooner or later, all people will cease working. With the decline in pensions and a fickle economic system, all people wants a information to determine the best way to maximize their separation.
B. Motivation
The viewers for this e-book is made up of people that don’t have the talents, information, or braveness to face their superiors and negotiate their freedom. It’s as if the US workforce is one huge zombie wasteland, begrudgingly following orders to stroll off a cliff till no extra.
C. Scalability
How To Engineer Your Layoff shall be written in a approach that’s scaleable throughout all cultures, and throughout a number of industries in varied international locations.
The e-book touches concerning the softer aspect of human feelings and negotiation ways that transcend all areas.
Do you actually assume your landlord will elevate your lease after you get them tickets to your favourite opera? Will the Human Assets supervisor hearth you if you happen to introduced her a shawl again from her favourite island of Santorini?
I’ll write my e-book in a approach that’s translatable and relevant in many various languages. I grew up in six totally different international locations and have visited 30 different international locations. Because of this, I’ve the flexibility to narrate to a big number of audiences.
D. Platform And Affinity Teams
1. 150,000+ month-to-month guests to FinancialSamurai.com
2. 3,000 Twitter followers of @FinancialSamura
3. The eye of tons of of essentially the most influential private finance bloggers on the internet because the founding father of the Yakezie Community of PF and Life-style Blogs.
4. Yakezie Community’s potential attain is round 750,000 pageviews a month.
5. The burgeoning early retirement / FIRE group which I helped kickstart in 2009
6. The hundreds of Occupy Wall Road protesters who desires to take again their lives and battle for his or her rights towards giant companies.
7. The tens of millions of employees in extremely cyclical industries corresponding to semiconductor, banking, consulting, capital items, communications, vitality, and transportation who expertise employment whiplash each time the economic system goes by way of a increase and bust
E. Comparable Books
I’ve by no means come throughout on-line, or within the bookstore a e-book on the best way to get laid off and negotiate an exceptional severance package deal. All of the books are about the best way to get a job, the best way to interview, how to decide on an trade that matches you and so forth.
Getting laid off is huge enterprise, with huge payoffs. Doing a fast search on Amazon, I’ve discovered the next three books. The most recent e-book was printed in 2010 and is a comedy.
1. How To Get Fired!: The New Worker’s Information To Perpetual Unemployment by Jeff Havens (Writer: Huge Pow! Books; 1st version (April 1, 2010)). Guide is a comedy and doesn’t provide the instruments to barter actual cash severance.
2. Getting Fired: What to Do if You are Fired, Downsized, Laid Off, Restructured, Discharged, Terminated, or Compelled to Resign by Steven Sack (Grand Central Publishing (January 15, 2000)). Outdated.
3. Hearth Me, Please! 101 Methods to Get Fired from Your Depressing Job by David Cordell (Dreamcan Books (December 27, 2004)). Outdated. Solely 96 pages.
My e-book shall be distinctive as a result of:
1. Dwelling my e-book in real-time. I managed to work for 13 years on Wall St., construct a internet price of three million {dollars} by age 34, construct a preferred private finance weblog, and engineer my layoff that paid for 5 plus years of regular dwelling bills.
2. A strong platform. With the creation of Monetary Samurai and the Yakezie Community, I’ve a big platform to market and distribute my e-book. Not one of the authors have the identical platform and presence on-line.
3. Scaleable. The e-book shall be written in a approach that may join throughout employees in Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, and Asia. The e-book won’t be restricted to simply the 138 million employees in America.
III. THE AUTHOR
A. Background
I’m a 13-year veteran of Wall St. who grew to become a Vice President on the of 27, and a Director at 30. I managed a multi-million greenback enterprise in San Francisco for one of many main funding banks.
In 2012, on the age of 34, I noticed my dream of working for myself by efficiently engineering my very own layoff. I acquired my undergraduate diploma Magna Cum Laude from The Faculty of William & Mary and my MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas Faculty of Enterprise.
I grew up in six totally different international locations (Philippines, Zambia, US, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia) and may converse Mandarin. My hobbies embrace investing in the true property and inventory markets, taking part in poker, tennis, snowboarding, golf, mountaineering, and touring.
In 2009, I began the private finance weblog, Monetary Samurai, which has grown to be one of the vital extensively learn private finance blogs on the internet with over 150,000 pageviews a month. Monetary Samurai has a Pagerank of 4, mozRank of 5.5, an Alexa Rank of 30,000, and a Area Authority of 66.
In December, 2009, I began the Yakezie Community, which now has 100 of the very best private finance and life-style bloggers on-line as Members. The potential attain of the Yakezie Community is within the 1 million+ pageviews a month.
B. Private Advertising and marketing
- I’ll faucet my complete Community of bloggers inside the Yakezie Community to assist promote and develop into associates of my e-book. The utmost potential attain is over 750,000 readers a month.
- I plan to talk at Fincon 2012, Weblog World and some other convention who may have me.
- I’ll create video content material on my website, and visitor submit on at the very least 10 different extremely rated blogs.
- I’ll do at the very least 10 podcast interviews from throughout totally different genres, and totally different international locations to get the message out.
- I’ll contact base with all my ex shoppers and colleagues within the trade to assist them unfold the world. I’ll ship private e-mails to buddies in cyclical industries to additionally assist spotlight the e-book.
IV. Pattern Content material
Chapter 1: Take Again Your Life
Welcome to the start of the tip! You’re sick of your job and don’t know the best way to get out. Day-after-day that passes appears like one other ounce of distress crushing your soul.
You have been as soon as once more handed up for promotion as your boss makes your life hell. You may not stand your co-workers, particularly the one who retains whistling some tune you possibly can’t stand and the slob who cracks hard-boiled eggs at his desk for breakfast.
Your commute is so lengthy you’re positive child pandas are dying due to your air pollution. In the meantime, you possibly can’t assist however surprise if even a monkey can do your job. You didn’t go to highschool to join this!
Hundreds of thousands of persons are caught in work conditions the place they really feel trapped. A Could 2012 research by Proper Administration a Manpower subsidiary, discovered that solely 11% of individuals have been glad with their jobs and that 16% have been “considerably glad.” A full 44% have been dissatisfied. However you already knew this!
With payments to pay and dependents to feed, how can we be irresponsible and voluntarily abandon a gentle paycheck? With unemployment charges at 8%-20% ranges all over the world, there’s no assure we’ll ever discover one other the same paying job once more!
What do you worth extra? Freedom or the hypnotic attract of cash? I think if you happen to’ve bought this e-book, the reply is freedom. For many of us, work is a way to an finish. Work to reside fairly than reside to work.
Think about A Completely different Surroundings
Think about somebody supplying you with $20,000 to not work. Or how about $50,000, $100,000, and even $500,000? Greater than doubtless, you’ll be ecstatic and take it, particularly if you happen to have been pondering of leaving anyway.
Let’s flip issues round and picture a situation the place your organization says you need to pay $20,000, $50,000, $100,000, $500,000 to be able to stop your job.
This proposition is much like a slave having to work off his debt to realize freedom. It’s absolute horseshit, however in actuality, quitting your job with out something in return may be very comparable. Certain, you possibly can acquire your freedom by quitting your job, however you’re additionally dropping all of your earnings!
Many individuals are afraid to strategy their boss a couple of separation settlement. Much more individuals don’t understand staff have highly effective rights. When your rights, you’re capable of maximize your returns.
One buddy managed to carry off getting laid off for for 2 years in Seoul, South Korea. He realized that staff can’t be terminated with out extreme monetary penalty to the corporate until an worker volunteers or conducts gross negligence. In these two years, my buddy was capable of present for his household, save a ton of cash, and go away with a separation package deal valued at 2X his wage.
Know you’re serving to your boss make the troublesome choice of whom to let go. Some obtain $5,000 for leaving, whereas others might obtain $500,000. No matter sum you obtain is healthier than zero and all gravy. Better of all, bonus cash provides you a pleasant cushion to embark on the brand new life you’ve chosen.
I, the Monetary Samurai, am right here to assist make what you think about a actuality.
The Greatest Push Backs To Negotiating A Severance
I’ve talked to over 100 less-than-satisfied staff concerning the topic of engineering their layoffs as an alternative of simply quitting. I at all times inform them that as an alternative of complaining, to do one thing about their scenario! The most typical excuses I get are:
- “I discover it disingenuous to scheme the best way to get let go. It’s extra honorable to stop.”
- “I’ve a whole lot of satisfaction in my work and may’t see myself taking it down a notch.”
- “If I engineer my very own layoff, I concern that I received’t be capable of get employed once more.”
Most of those persons are both too younger, or too naïve. They haven’t labored lengthy sufficient within the work power to get screwed over by a co-worker, boss, or financial cycle. Additional, they haven’t seen sufficient good buddies and family members lose their jobs by way of no fault of their very own. By the point you are completed studying, you may understand that negotiating a severance is feasible.
Certainly one of my buddies bought let go whereas on trip simply two years earlier than he might begin receiving retirement advantages. He was 54 on the time and the very best mailroom clerk one might have! The corporate might have lower any variety of financially safe staff, however selected to chop a 10-year veteran of the agency who barely made $30,000 a yr. Shameful.
As a former supervisor who participated within the hiring and firing of individuals, I virtually at all times observed when an worker’s enthusiasm began to fade. Work at all times follows the center.
Ideas Observe Motion
In case you are studying this e-book, however have one of many above frequent responses, you might be pondering issues by way of. Is it nonetheless scheming if you don’t act, however your thoughts thinks in any other case? After all it’s. Wanting to determine the best way to go away your job demonstrates you not have the total need to work and carry out such as you used to.
There are tens of millions of individuals on the market who would gladly take your place for much less cash and work more durable as well. Denying individuals this chance is egocentric. As a substitute, do society justice. Let somebody who desires your job do it and work out the best way to go away your job gracefully and in your phrases.
The worst worker is the one who complains concerning the scenario and does nothing to it.
Gone are the times of firm loyalty to staff and firm pensions. One should look out for themselves first as a result of the corporate and only a few different individuals will.
Now that you simply’ve completed some self-discovery, it’s time to get to work!
Thank You
I firmly imagine my e-book will allow tens of millions of individuals to interrupt free from depressing jobs to reside extra significant leaves. I did not assume negotiating a severance was potential till I attempted.
Thanks to your time and consideration.
Regards,
Sam
Guide Proposal Assessment
So there you could have it! My rejected e-book proposal. Not too unhealthy proper? It’s extra thorough than I had remebered.
I think the e-book proposal was rejected as a result of negotiating a severance was too uncommon a subject, although there are tens of millions of staff who will ultimately transfer on. Maybe the thought of negotiating a severance to FIRE was too new of an idea since FIRE had not gone mainstream but. Or possibly I simply did not contact the correct literary brokers. I am undecided.
What I do know is having a platform is the primary approach to get a e-book cope with a conventional writer. Given publishers do not actually market your e-book, you want an current platform to assist unfold the phrase. But when you have already got an current platform, chances are you’ll fairly self publish and earn better economics as an alternative.
No matter route you determine, construct a platform and construct a model. In case you do these two belongings you’ll have a a lot simpler probability of touchdown a e-book deal. On the very least, you must be capable of have a literary agent reply to you!
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