Non-Fiction Addiction

You can sell a non-fiction book on just three sample chapters to a vast majority of publishing houses. They usually want a marketing proposal (overall explanation of the book's audience appeal), a bio, which is a description of your background and expertise (commonly called platform), publishing creds (if any) and a full chapter outline, WITH the sample chapters. If accepted, you will then be given a boilerplate (standard contract) and a tentative due date that will allow you ample time to finish the manuscript. Editors really like to monitor non-fiction books through the writing and production phase, much more so than fiction. Don't be shocked if the editor suggests new chapters, or requests large cuts. They might even supply you with their own outline, interpreting their direction and focus of the book.