What An Empty Bookshelf Can Tell You

Are you doing your market research BEFORE you write that next story? My bet is that for so many authors out there, they are not doing this. If you ask them if they research before they write their story, they will tell you they do. But that is for what goes inside of the book. But what about the market? Remember, being a published author is not just about writing the book, it is about sales. 

I started thinking about this early this week when I was reading some posts from a historical writing group I follow on social media. I don't know if it was the phase of the moon or what, but that day, there were a ton of posts these authors were making about the books they were writing. They knew these books would sell because no one out there was doing what they were doing. While this might come across as "innovative" market research would say this is a big mistake. If there is no one writing books like yours it most likely means that there is no one out there wanting to buy a book like that.

Yes, I know you want to be the one who "starts the trend" or "rides that trend early on" but truthfully, there needs to be something out there either in movies, television or other authors who are doing something somewhat similar to you. It doesn't have to be a lot of other authors, but you need to find a few, and please also understand that these need to be current titles. Now, if all you find are self-published authors out there writing something similar, you have to take it a step further. Are they making a big enough impact on the market? Are they truly selling? Because, in all honesty, if they are making money and they are making an impact, we should see that happening outside of this self-publishing realm.

Think of it this way. As an agent, when I read submissions, I am not just looking at the concept of the book, I am also thinking about who I would send it to and how I would market it. Editors are doing the same thing. Add in the question we all ask, "Can we market a book from an unknown about a concept that is unknown to the reader and make money? Is this gamble worth it?"

So, take the time this weekend. Head out to a bookstore and see what is there. It may save you a lot of time and give you a chance to spend that time on a project that will actually have a chance to sell.