How to Write a Proposal Essay?

A proposal essay is a unique type of paper that combines elements of creative writing with the analytical rigor of academic discourse, while also incorporating key attributes found in business papers. 

We thought it deserves a separate writing guide and hereby would like to offer you the following:

• essential writing tips;
• advice on the best organizational structure for your essay;
• ample writing guidelines;
• and plenty of relevant examples. 

What is a Proposal Essay?

A proposal paper is a type of creative writing that stipulates offering a proposal on a given problem or issue. The writer presents a particular problem and suggests a solution, also called a proposal. 

The key to good proposal writing is to convince the reader of the validity and viability of the proposed solution. This is achieved via the use of various persuasive techniques, but even more so by reliance on accurate facts and arguments.

A typical proposal paper format implies a thorough description of a given issue or problem and a meticulous decomposition of the suggested proposal into discrete steps and milestones. In this respect, creative proposal writing is somewhat similar to business project proposals. 

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this type of academic writing is a solid stepping stone toward a successful career in business, in particular toward myriad office project management roles, which heavily rely on proposal writing.   

Proposal Essay Outline

To write a perfect proposal, you’ll need to make an outline. A classic outline for proposal writing consists of the following structural elements:

• Introduction
• The main Body
• Conclusion

Their detailed description is provided below:

Outline is not a mandatory element, but it is massively useful and highly recommended by expert writers for all who learn how to write this essay type. The data for the outline should be drawn from studying the topic, that is when you do your preparatory research. In doing so, make notes, capture the critically important statistics, and expert opinions, and reference trusted sources of information.

How to Start a Proposal Essay

To avoid starting “cold”, i.e., without any preparation, you’ll need that outline and prior research of the topic. The benefit of a thoroughly made outline is that it makes your job of starting an essay much easier – you’ll only need to pick the necessary elements from the inventory (outline) and place them in the right place in the text.

Begin with grabbing the reader’s attention by introducing some interesting information (the “hook”) on your topic. Then stage the problem by briefly describing its essence and relevance. And finally, conclude the introductory paragraph with a crisp thesis statement. 

A thesis statement is the roadmap of your essay, an explicit statement of your position – what you propose to do to confront and solve (mitigate, minimize risks) the given problem. It can be simple, consisting of only one goal, or composite, i.e., comprising several suggested solutions. To illustrate, let’s review a few examples – combinations of topic + thesis statement:   

Proposal Essay Examples: Topic Plus Thesis Statement

Tips for Writing a Proposal Essay

Finally, to reinforce the above-mentioned recommendations and to keep you on your toes with proposal writing, we’d like to give you several pro tips:

• Study your audience. To maximize the effectiveness of your proposal, you should tailor it to the interests and competence level of your audience (readers).
• Define a clear purpose. First, define for yourself what you are going to achieve and why. This will help with formulating a crisp thesis statement.
• Anticipate counterarguments. Think of the potential limitations of your proposal, and how the audience could critique it. By analyzing counterarguments at the stage of the outline, you massively improve the viability of your proposal.
• Cite sources properly. Don’t forget that the success of proposal writing rests on your ability to persuade and convince the audience. Proper citation of primary and trustworthy sources of information is your #1 persuasive technique.
• Balance logic and emotion. In using the correct citation format and relying on data, don’t forget to appeal to the readers’ emotions.
• Provide a timeline. Your proposal will appear more feasible and credible if you supply it with a timeline, i.e., activities with clear time-bound milestones.  

The Bottom Line

Two of the most critical aspects of proposal writing are studying the target audience and carefully selecting relevant evidence and facts. The knowledge about the target audience will allow you to tailor your proposal to meet their passions, and expertise level, and to find engaging facts. 

For instance, if you are writing an essay in your undergraduate college class on History, you might want to choose a popular historical topic and develop a proposal that will open up a new perspective, or help to uncover previously unknown facts. Consider adding an entertaining tone of voice to your narrative.

Alternatively, if your target audience is a more professional one, consisting of, let’s say, public communications experts, you’d be better off with a field-specific topic about technology or social media. Your proposal should contain a plan of action with clear milestones, and you as an author should maintain a strictly academic tone.