Three Months to a Book Proposal
Our Book Proposal Program helps thought leaders create a market-ready idea and plan for their book.
Next program starts May 4, 2026
Worldshapers offers a three-month program for people with high-potential ideas who want structured support to develop a proposal-ready nonfiction book.
The program is designed to help you turn an idea into a complete, market-ready book proposal. Over three months, you’ll work through a structured process to define your target audience, sharpen your positioning, build a detailed outline, and draft sample material. You’ll receive coaching, clear milestones, and accountability support to ensure progress.
By the end, you’ll have a complete plan for the next steps for your book, whether it is for commercial publishing or any other distribution strategy.
Why Write a Book Proposal?
A book proposal is the document that turns your idea into a clear, marketable case for why your book should exist and why you should be the one to write it.
It helps you to sharpen your argument and define your audience and the influence you want to have. A book proposal informs your marketing strategy and market research, and it is an indispensable tool for presenting your project to publishers, literary agents, and other stakeholders.
Regardless of your publishing path, a solid book proposal is your plan forward.
What To Expect
A book proposal is a tool for getting a book considered by publishers. It is also your blueprint and strategy for writing and marketing your ideas.
The program combines group sessions with individual coaching, requiring a commitment of typically 8–10 hours per week. Throughout the three months, our focus is on creating a strong proposal: defining your target audience and positioning, researching comparable titles and market fit, developing your author platform and credibility, preparing early marketing and outreach strategies, structuring your proposal and chapter outline, and understanding publishing basics and strategies.
By the end of three months, you will have a complete book proposal that includes clear positioning, a detailed chapter outline, and polished sample material. You'll have developed a clear articulation of who your book is for and why it matters to that specific audience, and you’ll have a practical plan for next steps, whether that means pursuing traditional publishing, working with an independent press, or exploring other distribution pathways.
Examples of Program Fit
- An author who is or can become credible in the eyes of their target audience
- A target audience that is important and influential for the impact of the author’s ideas
- A book written for policymakers, funders, or industry leaders that makes a concrete case for a change
- A field guide for a high-leverage professional audience (health, business, tech, government) that helps them act on a major issue
- A narrative-driven argument that makes a neglected issue more urgent and legible to influential readers
What We Are Looking For
We are most excited by nonfiction book projects that offer a clear, solutions-oriented idea (not only criticism); aim at a specific target audience, often outside existing activist circles; have a plausible path to influence such as changing policy, professional norms, funding priorities, or industry practice; and are written by someone with real expertise, lived experience or unusual access, and a willingness to be coached.
We are not looking for fiction projects, memoirs, or projects without a clear theory of change for what good it will do in the world.
Selection Criteria
We choose participants based on the clarity and strength of the core idea, its fit with our focus areas and approach, and a compelling explanation of why this needs to be a book and why you are the right person to write it. We also look for a realistic ability to follow through on the time commitment. Our focus areas are:
Animal Protection
We are interested in ideas that seek to improve the welfare and rights of sentient non-human animals, especially the billions subjected to factory farming every year.
Democracy & Civic Engagement
We are interested in ideas that shape the future of collective decision-making, public participation, and just representation.
Effective Altruism
We are interested in projects and ideas that aim to expand the public circle of morality and that offer solutions for doing good better.
Food Systems Change
We are interested in ideas for accelerating the global shift to sustainable, climate-positive, plant-based systems of food production.
Global Risk & Resilience
We are interested in projects and people who champion global risk mitigation, coordination, and preparedness.
Global Health & Aid
We are interested in ideas for improving access to health, justice, and flourishing.
Questions & Answers
- Does this cost something?
The Book Proposal Program is free for the participants. - What happens after the program?
After the Book Proposal Program, depending on the fit of their project the participants may continue writing their book and building their author platform with Worldshapers. There is no obligation either way. - Do I need to find a publisher or an agent?
Depending on the fit of the project, Worldshapers can help you find representation, agent you directly, or help with some other publishing strategy. - What happens after I apply?
We’ll reach out to find out more about your project and your plans if we believe there to be a good fit. - I won’t be able to put in a certain number of hours per week, but I’ll find the time. Can I still participate?
Yes. The program has no “mandatory attendance,” and you can structure your time how you wish. However, there are monthly deliverables that you have to meet to continue in the program. At the end of three months, you will have a 50–80 page book proposal, and you will have to invest at least 30 hours per month, and possibly more than 100 hours in total over the three months. We’re here to support you, and program participation is designed to help you achieve a great end result. - I have more questions.
Please get in touch with us at contact@worldshapers.com.