How to Write a Popular Science Book Proposal

Online E-Course - This can be completed in your own time in about 1 hour. You'll receive an email explaining how to access the course for free upon registration. Please do this as soon as possible, once you've registered you'll have lifetime access but if you forget then the space will be wasted and no one will be able to use it.

About the course

Have you been thinking about writing a popular science book but have no idea where to start? Then look no further! This one-hour video course is a practical guide to writing a popular science book proposal. Visit the course home page for a short trailer and syllabus.

CONTENTS

PART 1: THE INDUSTRY

This is the industry from the perspective of a writer. It aims to demystify the process of getting your work published, including the role of the proposal in non-fiction writing, agents, offers, editors and publishers.

PART 2: PLANNING: AIMS, AUDIENCE AND FINDING THE STORY

This part takes you through the planning of a popular science book, from defining our aims and audiences to identifying your book’s unique angle.

PART 3: THE PROPOSAL

The course comes with a downloadable book proposal template, and this part of the course takes you through each section of it, giving you the inside scoop of what agents and publishers are looking for.

PART 4: MAKING IT PERSONAL

I’m a big believer in telling human stories in science writing. So, this part of the course helps you think of yourself as the protagonist of your book, emphasising certain aspects of character to find your human story.

PART 5: ADVANCED POPULAR SCIENCE WRITING

Having planned the book proposal, you’ve now just got write the thing! In this final part of the course, I’ll be taking you through some advanced popular science writing techniques to help make your prose sparkle, including dialogue, multiple narratives and point-of-view.

About the trainer

Dr Anna Ploszajski is an award-winning materials scientist, writer, presenter, podcaster, trainer and storyteller based in London. She has a PhD in Materials Science and channels this passion by storytelling with materials on the screen, radio, stage and page; her first book, Handmade: A Scientist’s Search for Meaning Through Making, is out now.

Having developed her own unique blend of autobiographical and technical science communication, Anna now trains professional scientists, engineers and school students in the art of scientific storytelling. She has won numerous prestigious industry awards for her work, including Young Engineer of the Year by the Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Silver Medal from the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). In 2022 she was made a Fellow of the IOM3.

In her spare time, Anna plays the trumpet in a funk and soul covers band called Don’t Freak Out and is an ultra-endurance open water swimmer; she swam the English Channel in July 2018. Oh, and it’s pronounced “Por-shy-ski”.

Booking

Currently this course is sold out. If you would like to do it please contact wie@warwick.ac.uk. We may be able to purchase additional licenses for you.

No shows and cancellations

This session is subject to our Training Cancellation Policy . Given the unusual nature of the course this will work slightly different to normal. Once registered you will have lifetime access to the course, however you must register by 31 July 2024 or the code will expire and the place is wasted, Warwick Institute of Engagement will have paid for a place that no one will be able to use. You will be able to cancel if you no longer want to do the course, but if you don't cancel and don't use the place we'll apply a strike to your record for the 24-25 Academic Year. We will send periodic reminders.