April 12-14 | LIVE ON ZOOM

Professional guidance.

Group support.

Finish faster.

MEMOIRS SELL WITH PROPOSALS...

...whether or not you've written the book. From your proposal, agents and publishers evaluate your concept, platform and writing. Self-publishing? A memoir proposal is your marketing map.

In three days of live-on-Zoom, classes with templates, worksheets & lots of help, you'll fully plan and write most or all of your memoir proposal.

FRIDAY APRIL 12 - SUNDAY APRIL 14 | 12PM-3:30PM EASTERN TIME

OVERVIEW

Share your CONCEPT, WHO needs your book, and WHY you're the best person to write it.

AUDIENCE

Specific demographics who NEED your book—& how you already reach them.

COMP TITLES

Who you want to be shelved next to & how to start meeting those authors NOW.

BLURBS

How to ASK authors & experts to endorse your book & get them closer to YES.

PLATFORM

It's not (just) social media. Determine YOUR unique platform & how to build it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Show why this book could only be written by YOU—and that you're plenty qualified!

SYNOPSIS

Use Allison's best trick to EASILY write an enticing synopsis.

HOT ESSAYS

Build platform, reputation & your publishing record while finding your READERS.

Allison is one of the most gifted writing teachers I know. She’s like a friend privately taking you aside, delivering the honest truth you need, in a way that makes you enthusiastic to keep on going, even when the work gets very hard.

Jane FriedmanPublishing Expert & Author, The Business of Being a Writer

I had nearly given up on finding an agent when I decided to rework my manuscript with Allison’s help. After the revisions, an agent who had told me I could resubmit decided to represent me, and my book was acquired by Penguin Random House!

Karen FineAuthor of the NYT Bestseller, The Other Family Doctor

You sure put a new surge of creative wind in the old literary sails, Allison.

Christy-Ann ConlinAuthor, Tell It Slant

Start your journey to publication.

Learn proposal style & format. Actually write 60-80% of a proposal for the book you’ve written (or want to write!). Finish with a template for the rest.

Advance worksheets to collect & organize needed info
Memoir Proposal Template
Three days of Live-on-Zoom classes to walk you through every step
Plan & write most or all of your actual proposal
60 days of access to recorded classes for review & additional questions
Line up future blurbs—and who can be named in your proposal NOW
Five amazing ways to find the perfect comps (and how to write about them!)
Selling the book while you’re still writing it—is it right for you?
Not just WHAT to do but WHY & HOW

$425

Add-ons available for personal editorial feedback.

Prepare for Launch!

For traditional or self-publishing, your proposal becomes your marketing plan.
Still writing? A proposal maps your path to the end of the book.

APRIL 12-14

Is Proposal Bootcamp Right for Me?

You want to traditionally publish or self-publish
Rejections say "not enough platform" or "I don't see a market for this book."
You want to see if your idea is marketable BEFORE writing the book
Memoirists & Narrative Nonfiction writers
Essayists working on a collection or memoir-in-essays
Academics, Historians & Journalists writing mass-market books
YA, Middle Grade or Children's NONFICTION writers
BUT NOT IF...
You're writing Fiction
You don't have time for "homework"

Discover what makes your book WORK.

Literary or commercial, traditional publishing or independent
—write better with a DESTINATION in mind.

Bootcamp Schedule

Gather information

Download the PDF workbook with guidelines and forms, when you register.

Orient yourself with the Memoir Proposal Template
Brainstorm specific elements of your EXISTING platform (you’ll be surprised how much you already have!)
Starting listing potential comp titles
List potential blurbers—with information on who to consider
Rough audience demographics (no sociology required!)

Proposals 101 – 12-2PM EASTERN TIME

Learn WHY & HOW your proposal will be used by agents, editors & publishers
Discover what to showcase about yourself & your book—is your key concept marketable?
Synopsis check-in, with live-editing to see what’s working in others’ pages—and apply it to your own
Write/revise About the Author

Write/revise Chapter Summaries & Synopsis

All About Audience – 12-3:30PM EASTERN TIME

Explore your demographics Discover your true platform–and how to connect with your audience NOW
Write/revise Audience & Platform
Half-hour break for lunch
Learn whether essays, OpEds or other publications will support your book
Write/revise Marketing & Promotion

The Power of Connection – 12-3:30PM EASTERN TIME

Learn what makes great comp titles, how to find them & how to present them within your proposal
Discover the magic of comp AUTHORS—and how to get close to the people you want to be shelved next to
Write/revise Blurbs & Endorsements
Half-hour lunch break
Write/Revise Overview (it will be so much easier now that you know what to show off!)
First pages check-in: will your sample chapters suck in the agents & readers you want?
Live-editing throughout to see what’s working in others’ pages—and apply it to your own

The Finish Line

You may finish your whole proposal in our time together! But our actual goal is 60-80%.

You’ll end Bootcamp with:

A strong start on every element of your proposal
Some elements ready for revision/polishing
Some elements done and ready to go!
A clear plan for moving forward and finishing your proposal by your chosen deadline

Need more help?

A limited number of add-on services will be available.

Line editing of Synopsis or Overview (2 rounds) – $125

Options will be available at registration.

Allison K Williams

WRITER | EDITOR | SPEAKER | COACH

Allison K Williams brings deep understanding of dramatic structure, sensitivity to voice and theme, technical expertise, and contagious enthusiasm for your work. She is the author of Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro From Blank Page to Book and the Social Media Editor of Brevity.

I'm excited about Memoir Proposal Bootcamp.

Why? Because I love seeing writers discover new wisdom within their own work and share it with readers who need their words. I love that you'll never have to dance on TikTok—and showing what you can do instead. And I love how the power of group work at a specific time with specific tasks helps us make our best work FAST.

I've edited proposals and coached authors to sales with Penguin Random House, Mantle, Knopf, Spencer Hill, university & literary presses and the NYT Bestseller List; guided successful self-publishing; and I always over-deliver (#FirehoseMe). This time I'm telling you when you sign up: Memoir Proposal Bootcamp delivers everything I can give an author ready to work intensely to make big progress in compressed time.

Proposals are intimidating and lots of work. But with the right knowledge, information, and guidance from a seasoned publishing professional, you're going to finish yours.

Allison coached me from first-ever—very shitty—sentence all the way through publishing my debut novel with Knopf. She taught me everything—from writing how-to, to prioritizing my writing time, to navigating the publishing industry—with an abundance of wisdom and tender loving (motivating, no-nonsense, but sometimes laugh-out-loud funny) care.

Rhiannon NavinAuthor, Only Child

... Reinvigorated my writing habit. I left the Intensive feeling more in tune with my writing goals and intentions, excited for my various projects and with more tools under my belt to accomplish them.

Scott Russell MorrisWriter, Virtual Intensive 2021

I’ve been telling ALL my writing colleagues how fantastic your intensive is...I’ve been to many conferences and workshops over the years and I have an MFA. This is one of the best experiences I’ve had.

Vicki MaykAuthor, Growing Up On The Gridiron

Your Answers

What is Proposal Bootcamp?

Proposal Bootcamp is a focused, supported weekend with a publishing professional to plan, structure and write (most of!) your book proposal.

With guided advance preparation, you’ll have the information your proposal needs.
Three days of live-on-Zoom classes take you step-by-step through writing an agent-grabbing, publisher-friendly proposal. Classes include teaching time, live-editing time & focused writing time.
You’ll discover your true audience and unique platform, so instead of shouting into the void of social media, you’ll be talking to your real readers.
You’ll take home a specific plan to finish and polish the remainder of your proposal. Optional support groups will work together to get it done–fast!

What's the time commitment?

Plan to spend 2-5 hours in advance preparation. This will be a mix of thinking time, reading time, live research & internet research. You can download your workbook & get started right after registration.

Live classes run Friday 12-2PM, Saturday & Sunday 12-3:30PM, April 12-14. All times are USA EASTERN. Saturday and Sunday include a half-hour break for lunch.

Each class day, you will almost certainly want to spend another 1-2 hours on proposal revision & additional research.

After Memoir Proposal Bootcamp, you’ll need additional time for revising, polishing & working on your sample chapters. This will vary based on whether you started with a draft proposal, finished or partial manuscript, both, or neither.

Do I need a finished book?

Nope! You don’t even need a started book. Proposal Bootcamp is a great opportunity to think through the marketability of your idea, too.

If your book is in-progress, Proposal Bootcamp can influence your next draft towards a sellable final manuscript.

If your book is finished, we’ll help you avoid the dreaded “not enough platform” or “I don’t see a market” rejections–and give straight-up feedback on the market prospects for your work.

I'm self-publishing or working with a small press. Why would I need a proposal?

Self-publishing, small press & hybrid authors must identify your true audience & how to reach them. Your proposal will guide your manuscript revisions to reach that audience. The demographic data, comps, blurb lists & supporting publication ideas serve as a blueprint for your marketing plans.

I already have a draft of my proposal. How will Proposal Bootcamp help?

You’ve got a head start! We’ll make sure your time is well-spent, with tools & insights to revise & polish a proposal that will sell your book.

How do the live-on-Zoom classes work? What tech will I need?

Each day includes teaching time, focused writing time & live-editing time. You’ll learn about a proposal element, see it in action & immediately apply the tools to your own work.

Zoom sessions can be accessed through any web browser, or you can dial in on your phone.

Pages for live-editing should be submitted as Microsoft Word doc or docx, so that Allison can use Track Changes to show suggested revisions.

ALL CLASSES WILL BE RECORDED. You’ll be able to access the replays for 60 days, starting about 1 hour after each class finishes. Can’t make it live? You can still watch & ask questions on the recorded videos for 60 days.

Will I get personal feedback?

You can volunteer to share pages for live-editing, when Allison shares her screen while showing line edits & editorial feedback. Live-edited pages are returned with the edits shown in Track Changes. There won’t be time for everyone who volunteers, but as she live-edits, Allison will identify revisions everyone can make in their own pages.

Short, structured breakout room time will allow you to share elements of your proposal with other writers. For guaranteed feedback you can add on line-editing of your overview and/or synopsis after the bootcamp. Pricing & details are available when you register.

I'm a member of a historically marginalized community. Will I feel comfortable?

Memoir Proposal Bootcamp is an actively anti-racist space. Allison is happy to identify microaggressions & inadvertent/ignorant missteps–& how to fix them–so that writers who want to do better can enthusiastically do so.

Allison is aware of resources & audiences for many minoritized communities & will actively connect you to anything she can.

What about accessibility?

Live-on-Zoom classes include closed captions; the video recordings will include captions & transcripts.

If you use a screen reader, let us know & we’ll send the workbook in text-only format. Slides include pictures that will be described. Allison reads all slide text aloud.

Being on camera/mic is optional.

Need other accommodations to get the full Bootcamp experience? Let us know! We’d love to deliver what you need.

I can't make it that weekend. Will you offer this Bootcamp again?

Maybe in 2025, depending on Allison’s overall schedule. But if you can’t make it live, you can still watch & ask questions on the recorded videos for 60 days.

How do I pay? What's the refund policy?

Payments can be made by PayPal/credit card, Venmo, Zelle, direct deposit, Canadian Interac/eTransfer, or wire transfer.

Payment in full is due at time of registration.

We aren’t able to offer refunds on Bootcamps. But life happens! If you can’t make it live, you’ll still be able to watch & ask questions on the recorded lessons for 60 days, or you can transfer your registration to a writer friend.

What if I have more questions?

Email Allison@RebirthYourBook.com–we’re happy to help!

Selling your book starts NOW.

A clear plan for message, audience & marketing will guide you to a finished manuscript, the publishing plan you want & the readers who need your words.