oh, no comment on you - just the people who when the first flakes show up get all panic-y.

No offense taken. Unfortunately at the moment those people are me. I felt pretty panicked at the first flakes this morning. "Will I be trapped for another five days. Will I be able to get back into my garage when I come back." Forturnately by the time I returned it had melted away. But at the moment, I have a visceral reaction to snow. I'm not scared of snow per se, but of the fact that this town is not really prepared for much of it.

All right, say you've got a handful of material for a book about, say...customer service.

What do you have to have ready for an agent to approach them? An outline and a chapter or three? Or the whole damn book?

You approach an agent with a query letter. If an agent is interested, you'll need to send the following for non-fic, which is what I assume this is:

A proposal, which includes a bit about why you are qualified to write this, market analysis (how your book is like successful books/what makes it unique), an annotated bibliography, and a sample chapter.

I think I have the vampire people proposal on a flash drive somewhere, if I find it I'll be happy to send.

From what I understand the whole damn book is a mistake [edit: I mean having it finished before approaching the agent]. The agent wants to shape it. But they do want an outline and indication that you can finish the book. There are books out there on that, but I suspect our published authors can give you more on this than I can. Basically what you need is a good proposal.

Or What Allyson said.

Allyson if I could take a look at that proposal it would be a godsend.

The downside is, of course, that you already rock so much that this may tip you into critical rockage mass and then you'd explode.

Okey doke, I just sent the query letter and proposal. Hope it helps!

Thank you so much, Allyson.

Happy to help. It was the only gratifying thing I did with my day. Sending an email.

cries

Bleh. Today just blew.

I second that emotion, Allyson. Although without the scientists.

From what I understand the whole damn book is a mistake [edit: I mean having it finished before approaching the agent]. The agent wants to shape it. But they do want an outline and indication that you can finish the book.

For the most part, this is not true of the industry as I know it. Agents want to find AUTHORS, not books, and they want authors who will keep producing books they can sell. Editors are more likely to want to shape a book than agents, especially when it comes to nonfiction.

While you should never SEND an agent a full manuscript without being asked to do so, the only proof you have that you *can* finish a manuscript is that you have, in fact, finished it. In the market right now, especially, it's only going to help to go in with a finished product.

Not trying to rain on your parade, MM. Just wanted you to be clear on what expectations are in my experience.