IBM PRESS PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
Thank you for considering IBM Press for your writing project. A good book deserves a good
manuscript proposal. In order to make a good publishing decision on your project, IBM Press
needs four documents:
I. Complete Prospectus describing the essential facts about the book including:
A. Proposed Title and Subtitle
B. Author(s)
C. Specifications (length, video, CD, etc.)
D. One Sentence Sell Line
E. Brief Description
F. Outstanding Features
G. Target Audience
H. Market Definition and Size
I. Competition
J. Writing Status and Proposed Schedule
K. Suggested Reviewers
II. Table of Contents (including as much detail as you can currently provide)
III. Author Vitae or a Professional Biography (for each author), outlining your
education, previous publications, professional experience, field of research, special
awards, etc. Essentially, your vitae or bio should answer the question: what qualifies you
to author a book on this particular topic?
IV. Sample Chapter or a writing example that reflects the book’s style, tone and level.
It is very important that you fill out the proposal form completely. All of the requested
information is critical to making an informed decision about publishing your book.
Please note: If there is information missing we will return the proposal to you for
completion.
After reviewing these items, IBM Press and our publishing partner, Pearson, will decide
whether or not to publish the work, or suggest changes to the material in the hopes of
receiving a revised version from you for reconsideration. With a complete package in hand,
IBM Press and Pearson can make a sound decision on your proposal, and be confident in the
success of the book. Good luck and we look forward to receiving your material.
If you have any questions at all about completing this proposal, please feel free to email
Steve Stansel, Editorial Program Manager for IBM Press at: sstansel@us.ibm.com and he
will be happy to assist you. Additional information about IBM Press can be found at:
http://w3-03.ibm.com/marketing/branding/extend/press.html
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Completion Checklist
Proposal Section
I. Prospectus
Completed
A. Proposed Title and Subtitle
B. Author(s)
C. Specifications (length, video, CD, etc.)
D. One Sentence Sell Line
E. Brief Description
F. Outstanding Features
G. Target Audience
H. Market Definition and Size
I. Competition
J. Writing Status and Proposed Schedule
K. Suggested Reviewers
II. Table of Contents
III. Author Vitae or Professional Biography
IV. Sample Chapter or Writing Example
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IBM Press Book Proposal
I. Prospectus
A. Proposed Title and Subtitle
Title:
Subtitle:
B. Author(s)
C. Specifications
1. Estimated Page Count
2. Video, CD or other Supplemental Media?
D. One Sentence Sell Line
Provide a one sentence “elevator pitch” for your book. For example: “The first book to
explain the hottest new technology in computing, written by its developers.” or “Lessons in
fostering world-class innovation from the leader of one of the industry’s most successful
programs.”
E. Brief Description
Please provide a summary of the subject, scope, and approach to the topic (e.g. is it a
reference or tutorial? Is it an overview or in-depth treatment?)
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F. Outstanding Features
Please list selling points for your book. These should be short, one to three bullet points.
1. What critical problem(s) will it help readers solve?



2. What are the book’s distinctive characteristics that would make a reader buy this book
instead of other ones on the same topic? For example: case studies, business plans, templates
or checklists, code or software to be included, etc.



3. What makes you uniquely qualified to write this book?
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

G. Target Audience
1. Identify the intended target audience. List the titles, roles, or general characteristics of who
will buy the book.
2. At what level is the book targeted (beginner, intermediate, advanced)?
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3. Identify some of the most important obstacles faced by this target audience when it comes
to mastering the proposed topic.
H. Market Definition and Size
1. Based upon your target audience, estimate the size of the market for your book. Cite
industry statistics, if possible. How would you quantify the market in terms of the numbers of
readers who will be looking for the information contained in your book over the next 18
months to 2 years?
2a. If this is a product-related book, quantify the potential audience for this book based on the
number of products sold (for example, xxx developers are using said technology or product,
etc). If this is a book about providing WebSphere services, for example, then we would need
the number of users. (If this is a non-product-related book, put “N/A” and proceed to the next
question.)
2b. If this is a non-product-related book, quantify the potential audience for this book based
on relevant market research (for example, xxx number of subscribers to related journals and
magazines, popular conferences with xxx number of attendees, or, if possible, market
research reports, such as Gartner, Forrester or In-Stat, etc.)
3. Are there any academic programs that would use this book as either a required text or as a
supplement? Are there corporate training programs or seminars (in-house and/or publicly
held) that could use this material?
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4. Are there professional organizations that would be useful in promoting the book?
5. Is there a strong international market for your book? Why (or why not)?
I. Competition
1. Identify competing books currently available, noting the title, author, publisher,
publication date, page count, and price. Compare each to your proposed work, noting the
similarities as well as the differences. How is your proposed book better/unique?
Title #1
Title #2
Title #3
Title
Author
Publisher
Pub Date
Page Count
Price
Differentiator(s)
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Title #4
J. Writing Status and Proposed Schedule
We need to be able to assess whether your book can be completed in a timely manner. Please
be realistic based on your work and family commitments, and work load. It is important that
you are confident you can commit to these dates as they will be contractual milestone dates
with Pearson.
Milestone
First Quarter of Manuscript
Second Quarter of Manuscript
Third Quarter of Manuscript
Fourth Quarter of Manuscript
Start Date
Date Complete
K. Suggested Reviewers
We may use reviewers of our own choice but we will also try to include some whose opinion
you feel will be valuable. Therefore, do you have any suggestions for reviewers? If so,
please include their names and e-mail addresses, and why they would be qualified to act as a
reviewer.
Reviewer’s
Name
Email or Phone Number
Qualifications
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II. Table of Contents
Please insert Table of Contents here, listing each chapter title and as much summary detail as
you can provide at this point.
III. Author Vitae or Professional Biography (for each author)
Outline your education, previous publications, professional experience, field of research,
special awards, etc. Essentially, your vitae or bio should answer the question: what qualifies
you to author a book on this particular topic?
IV. Sample Chapter or a Writing Example
Please attach a sample chapter or writing example that accurately reflects the book’s style,
tone, and level.
Please send to:
ibmpub@us.ibm.com
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