Many presses have instructions online for what to include in a proposal, and some ask that proposals be submitted using an online-submission portal, so it would be a good idea to look for requirements on publishers’ websites before sending anything. That said, many publishers will want to see a concise statement of what the book is about and what makes it distinctive and noteworthy, a longer statement of three to five paragraphs that describes the topic in more detail, a table of contents with chapter abstracts, a total word count, the number of illustrations (if any) you plan to include in the book, an expected date when the manuscript will be finished, a summary of any previously published material included in the manuscript, a statement about whether your proposal has been submitted elsewhere, and your CV or résumé.
—AUPresses Faculty Outreach Committee