October 2, 2010

  • more homework...

    hey luvs,

    if you haven't voted for the ten pix from my previous blog do so after helping me with this

    what i need help with is the pitch proposal i had to create for a nonfiction book. i do not tend to read nonfiction so this was a bit difficult for me PLUS it had to be a book that fit in with the "publishing company" assignment we're working on in groups as well and thereby limiting the content to work with. i have to hand it into class this coming week and we've basically been told to do this blind -not one of us has ever seen or heard a book pitch and we have only the assignment sheet to go on. anyhoo, please let me know if you think this book would sell at all and if i've made any spelling/grammatical errors...

    Title/Subtitle
    Keeping The Peace: How to Survive Living with Your Parents… again.
    Keeping The Peace: How to Cohabit with Your Adult Child

    Concept/Content
    This book will boast the pros and cons of an “emerging adult” moving back in with their parents as well as the pros and cons of parents allowing their children to move back in. It will offer tips on how both the parent and child can co-habit peacefully and how to communicate to negotiate compromises and house rules. It will consist of interviews with other emerging adults and ex emerging adults who live or have lived with their parents and parents who have had their children move back in with them or who did not allow their children to move back in.

    Author Credentials
    This book would be co-written by a researcher in the field of emerging adults such as Jeffrey Arnett or Christine Hassler and a fiction author. This will allow the book to be a more interesting read while still remaining grounded in fact.

    Specs
    This would be a flipbook, one side for the parent and one for the emerging adult. The hardcover option would have a wraparound Z-binding (similar to McSweeney’s Issue 24) while the paperback edition would flip over.

    The emerging adult side of the paperback edition would be colourful and attention grabbing; the parents’ side would have a more academic feel. This will make the book interesting to the younger audience’s eye while still appearing intellectual for the discerning adult.

    The pages of the emerging adult portion will be trimmed with colour. This would be intriguing as the book would not only have coloured trim but only half the book would have it and cause consumers to wonder the reason why and therefore pick up the book. The coloured pages would also have a practical use of dividing the book into the two aforementioned segments. The division of the coloured trim will indicate to the reader the portion of the book that is relevant to their side of the experience. There should also be at least two colour options to promote the book as “different” and possibly double sales for those families who do not like to share books or can be given as a gift to both a parent and child and not be the “same” gift.

    Target Reader
    This book would be geared towards “emerging adults” (college students/graduates) and their parents. A secondary demographic would be adults moving back into their parents’ homes at any age.

    Other
    The book would be promoted on opposing sides of the bookstore display. One display would show the emerging adult cover while the other would boast the parents’ cover; this will show that this book has two different sides -both in cover and content.

    SUMR