A book proposal is not a synopsis. It is not a query letter. It is a sales document that does the work of the first ten conversations an editor would otherwise have to have to evaluate you and your book. Most first-time authors write the wrong thing first, and the right thing not at all.
The five things every Indian publisher's editorial board actually reads. First — the one-paragraph hook. If your hook doesn't land, the next 30 pages don't matter. Second — the comparable titles section: name three recent books (last 5 years, Indian preferred) that your book sits alongside, and one sentence each on why yours is different. Third — the chapter outline: not a synopsis, a list. One sentence per chapter, the *argument* of each chapter, not the events.
Fourth — the author platform section. This is where most Indian non-fiction proposals quietly fail. The editor needs to know who is going to buy this book in its first month. Existing newsletter? Speaking schedule? Social following with engagement (not vanity numbers)? A planned launch event? Be honest — exaggerating here is detected within one email and ends conversations. Fifth — the manuscript status: word count, completion percentage, expected delivery date if currently being written.
What to leave out. Your full bio (one paragraph, three lines max — they'll ask). Your reading history. A blanket statement that 'everyone in India will want this book'. Long quoted endorsements from people the editor doesn't know. Your full first chapter pasted into the proposal — attach it separately if asked.
A practical structure. Cover page (title, subtitle, author, word count, status, contact). Hook (200 words). About the book (600 words). Comparable titles (3 books, 100 words each). Author bio (200 words). Author platform (200–500 words). Chapter outline (1 sentence per chapter). Sample chapter as an attachment.
For PGL submissions specifically: we read every submission. Use the Email button on the Get Published page (subject line is pre-filled: 'Manuscript Submission — [Your Book Title]'). Editorial board reviews monthly and extends Free Plan invites to manuscripts we choose to back; everything else gets a Basic / Author's Desk / Bestseller quote with the editor's notes. Either way, you'll hear back.
