tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post115319662080560795..comments2023-09-23T04:56:51.617-07:00Comments on Forensics & Faith: Market Research for a Novel~ Brandilyn Collinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04771812607327238979noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1153266994058669362006-07-18T16:56:00.000-07:002006-07-18T16:56:00.000-07:00Tina, I use to live in a small town and had a simi...Tina, I use to live in a small town and had a similar problem with my library. Have them get you books on loan. You can tell them a book you want and they find it at another library and all you have to do is pay postage to have them mail it to your library. I borrowed a lot of books on craft that way. Good luck on the proposal!Sabrina L. Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13954098747496339033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1153259385745302852006-07-18T14:49:00.000-07:002006-07-18T14:49:00.000-07:00I think comparing your proposed (finished) novel t...I think comparing your proposed (finished) novel to recent published titles has indeed become the norm. "Readers of this author or that author will resonate with my book like a tuning fork to the jaw..." <BR/><BR/>Then, after citing similarities, the hopeful author is charged with pointing out what makes him/her unique. "My book is like authors X, Y, and Z except for the fact that my protagonist is a turtle...and anyway, I can write circles around X and Y...and besides, Z is a chump!"<BR/><BR/>HOWEVER, I can't imagine writing a novel only AFTER scoping out the competition and trying to predict what may or may not be selling 2 or 3 years hence. <BR/><BR/>If you asked me (and no one did!), I would counsel follks to write the book that captures their imagination and won't let go. You're going to live with these people and places for a year or more (the rest of your life if you make it into print!), so you want to make sure they're your kind of people and places. <BR/><BR/>Trends come and go. Tastes change. But if you write about characters (themes, places, etc.) you love, your writing will reflect it. And I'm still in the camp that thinks great writing will get you published faster than adapting to a market.<BR/><BR/>Now, like the aforementioned turtle, I'm retracting my extremeties for a much needed nap.michael snyderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04928294752314542520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1153246398192540822006-07-18T11:13:00.000-07:002006-07-18T11:13:00.000-07:00I echo Jennifer and Wayne, Randy Ingermanson's "Ho...I echo Jennifer and Wayne, Randy Ingermanson's <I><B>"How to Write a Proposal"</B></I> is a wealth of info!Bonnie S. Calhounhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11769607640246518804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1153237130818015772006-07-18T08:38:00.000-07:002006-07-18T08:38:00.000-07:00Tell this editor that there is no comparison! Does...Tell this editor that there is no comparison! Doesn't he know true greatness when he sees it?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16473774179937702258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1153235499274565892006-07-18T08:11:00.000-07:002006-07-18T08:11:00.000-07:00Thanks for answering this question for me, Brandil...Thanks for answering this question for me, Brandilyn. It's nice to know that just browsing and reading descriptions is enough and I don't have to spend a bunch of money buying lots of books. I live in a small town and our library doesn't have a great selection of Christian ficiton.<BR/><BR/>And thanks everyone else for your imput. I love being part of a community like this where we can help each other. Katie, your tip about Jack Cavanaugh paid off. He wrote a novel in my timeline and location.<BR/><BR/>Thank you all!Tina Helmuthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02210602508259810567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1153230116979386092006-07-18T06:41:00.000-07:002006-07-18T06:41:00.000-07:00Huh?Market research?You said, "I don’t think many ...Huh?<BR/><BR/>Market research?<BR/><BR/>You said, "I don’t think many novelists research the market before writing their stories."<BR/><BR/>Ah, the luxury of that. And I'm sure that's the case, because I rely on your knowledge and expertise in the biz. <BR/><BR/>I'm with Cindy, though: market research is the norm; in fact, the beginning. This is what we're told to do at conferences. We're told to know the market like we know the back of our hand.<BR/><BR/>I've taught this myself. It's kind of like this if you don't: sitting down and writing an article about your child getting head lice at school and then sending it to Guideposts. You wouldn't want to do that.<BR/><BR/>B, you gave great advice about researching on christianbook.com. Before the Internet, I spent many hours in bookstores studying titles, genres, etc.<BR/><BR/>Most proposal templates tell you the market comparisons are very important. <BR/><BR/>Thanks for a great blog post.Kristy Dykeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09513637012962943901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1153227179285586192006-07-18T05:52:00.000-07:002006-07-18T05:52:00.000-07:00I found it very helpful to check out the fiction s...I found it very helpful to check out the fiction sections of various publishers' Web sites. Most houses show their more recent and upcoming releases, which is particularly nice in comparing what is currently out there. Sometimes the cover pictures alone were enough to clue me in that the book might be in my genre, and clicking on it brought up a description of the story. Doing it this way made the search a little less like looking for a needle in a haystack. Plus, I learned a lot about what the publishers are currently putting out there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1153226623102662752006-07-18T05:43:00.000-07:002006-07-18T05:43:00.000-07:00Yes, market research for a novel proposal is the n...Yes, market research for a novel proposal is the norm now. I think you're right that the agent probably meant genre and time period. Show why books like yours sell well and why the world needs your book--why it won't be just like all the rest. It's very competitive and you have to sell yourself. Look for unique twists. Are you writing about an ethnic group that hasn't been well covered? Are you including a time period that people don't know much about (as opposed to the Civil War, for example.)<BR/><BR/>Put your thinking cap on and be unique. That will get you noticed.Cindy Thomsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12849601026378434446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1153207287332275712006-07-18T00:21:00.000-07:002006-07-18T00:21:00.000-07:00You covered it pretty well, Brandilyn. Market rese...You covered it pretty well, Brandilyn. Market research is helpful to know how your book might sit in the market. And it helps the agent or editor get a feel for what your story is similar to, but also, as you said, how it's different. Going to the publisher websites is helpful, too. <BR/><BR/>Carol Cox wrote Ticket to Tomorrow. It's a lighter historical suspense. Nice story. I think there are different levels of suspense, and some border on mysteries, too. Checking both areas seems wise.Dineen A. Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08560463944362266736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10583449.post-1153202419468485842006-07-17T23:00:00.000-07:002006-07-17T23:00:00.000-07:00Very few historical novels are tagged as suspense....Very few historical novels are tagged as suspense. In christianbook.com's current list, I spot only two - Obsessed by Ted Dekker (though the primary setting of the 70's isn't very historical) and Glimpses of Paradise by James Scott Bell. River Rising won the suspense Christy. That's about it.<BR/><BR/>For authors who turn old events into thrillers - the first person I think of is Jack Cavanaugh. I've not found a historical fiction author who can match him in suspense.Katie Hart - Pinterest Managerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14892763965326103296noreply@blogger.com