How many times have you been perusing the latest non-fiction at a bookstore or at Amazon and thought, “Man, I could have written that one!”? I know I sure have. A title catches my eye and it is soon followed by a Homer Simpson “Doh!” and a slap to the forehead. Lessons learned. Now I write down ideas, even if what I have is no more than an idea. What you really want to know when you have an idea for a non-fiction book is, “Okay, who has done this already (if anyone) and is there room for mine?” What you need is a competitive market analysis. Hey! Wait! Come back here right now. There’s no reason to be scared. I’ll show you what to do.
The steps
- First, go to Amazon.com
. It’s important that you go through the link in the previous sentence so’s I can make some money if you happen to buy anything. (How’s THAT for full disclosure?) :-}
- Go to the search bar and search the subject of your idea. For my example, I chose “library”. Okay, 1,183,140 results. Dang, somebody already wrote a book about libraries…
- Don’t be discouraged about the number of results. Trust me, you can cull the herd.
- If possible, narrow your search a bit by using two to three keywords under the “Advanced Search” tab. I narrowed by selecting “Library Design”. Brought my results down to 26,605, it did.
- Finally, I selected only new, hardcover books published after Jan, 2000. Now I’m looking at just over 7,000.
- Here is where the work begins. You can eliminate academic works, books with titles that are obviously different from your big idea, and books that are exceedingly long or short.
By now, you should have a short list. These are the books that might have the information you are considering as your big idea. If you find any that are pretty much identical to your idea, don’t sweat it too much at this stage. Maybe you’ve got a unique hook or spin. Your next stop: The local bookstore.
Field Trip!
Oh, goody. Any excuse for a trip to the bookstore or library.
Try the bookstore first, since they are more apt to have the best selling books on their shelves. Find your competitors. Pick up the book and look at it. Make note of the cover design, the jacket notes and the format and size of the book. This should give you ideas for what you would or would not want to do with your book. Consider purchasing the top two or three competitive titles. Oh, and remember to use the Amazon link above. Hehe.
Take copius notes during this process. Why? Because an integral part of your book proposal to agents or editors will be a competitive market analysis. Remember that you are going to have to sell the idea of your book and a solid competitive title analysis shows that you have done your homework. That can go MILES towards landing you an agent or publisher.
Again, do not be discouraged if you run across competitive titles. These should inspire you. They let you know that the idea has merit and marketability. Your job now is to shine and blow the others out of the water with outstanding content that is freshly unique.
Actually, I have several ideas big enough for books.
It’s pulling all my thoughts together and making those thoughts and books a priority that’s the problem.
These are great tips, George. I’m definitely inspired each time I walk through a book store or library. What writer wouldn’t be,huh? So many dreams are alive on those shelves, in those books. So many imaginations noticed, published, shared. Ah, George, your posts always inspire me!
*smiles*
Michele
.-= Michele´s last blog ..K.C. Compton, The Checkered Past Band, + Me =-.
Michele,
Yay. It’s what I’m here for, ya know!
George
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Yep, I do!
.-= Michele´s last blog ..K.C. Compton, The Checkered Past Band, + Me =-.
Good advice, George. So many writers either get discouraged about the competition or think their book is so good it has no competition.
.-= Lillie Ammann´s last blog ..New Comment Policy: No Name, No Comment =-.
Thanks Lillie. Nice to see you here again. I really do hope that writers know that if there is competition, it’s a good thing. Really. It means that the idea is saleable.
George
Hi George, good ideas all. Is it any use to track sales rank of the books most competitive with your idea. Amazon very nicely gives ranking information which I would assume someone can translate into sales volume of some sort.
.-= Fred H Schlegel´s last blog ..Biomutualism, Breaking Down Silos, and Finding Inspiration =-.
Fred!
Ahhh, yes. The ranking information. An excellent point and something to consider as a very important part of your final analysis.
Cheers
George
Hmmm…I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to figure out what the huge list of books published — oh!!! It’s called Books in Print, and I’ve read that writers who are compiling their “Similar Books on This Subject” should consult Books in Print.
You may have said this and I missed it, but — are you writing a book about libraries, George, or was it just an example?
Laurie
.-= The Adventurous Writer´s last blog ..8 Ideas for Blog Posts or Magazine Articles at Halloween =-.
Hi Laurie.
The library was just an example, although now my wheels are turning a bit. The Books in Print consult is a good one as well and should provide the needed information. It is usually available at the library as well!
George
Hi George,
I love the ideas. They are a sure fire hit. I think i need to try some of them to really get me started on the book. I have the title, i have the matter…the problem is, its all in my head at this point. The starting is the biggest obstacle.
I aint a writer…but i would sure like to be one. I know with your encouragement, I can get a good push to start writing the book thats already written itself in my head.
Thank you for these wonderful tips.
.-= Zeenat{Positive Provocations}´s last blog ..Stress Less =-.
Zeenat,
All great trees start from a seed. Nurture and love the seed, plant it and take care of it and watch it flourish.
I know it will happen for you!
George
Yes, Gearge, I agree — ideas are everywhere, but we have to be alert enough to grab them and astute enough to know whether they can support a book.
Being aware of the books that are out there on the market (or underway, via writers’ groups) is a good way to find your footing as an author.
In the end, though, it all comes down to discipline. No idea, large or small, finds a voice till the writer sits down and makes it happen.
Best regards,
Donna Carrick
http://www.donnacarrick.com
Hi Donna,
It’s nice to see you here. I went to your site, by the way. Very nice!
You are right. A writer needs to cast off any excuses, sit down and start to make it happen. Otherwise it is just an idea…
George
I encourage people to write a book not for money, but for showing expertise and commitment. For most of us, publishing a book won’t lead to riches or fame. Not trying to burst your bubble — it’s reality.
George gives solid advice to help improve your chances to get publishers to accept your book. Sometimes an idea may be too big and you would do better by narrowing it.
.-= Meryl K Evans´s last blog ..Link: School’s On! 2009 Edition =-.
Thanks Meryl.
Writing a book to get rich is probably a poor strategy. Showing commitment is a more realistic and worthy goal.
Nice to see you here!
George
To the question “Is Your Big Idea Big Enough For a Book?” I would add “Can you love and nurture this book for years, even after it’s published?”
So much of the marketing and promotion of a book falls onto the author these days. Not only that, but it’s much easier to have contact with our readers than it used to be. In order words, your book can really take on a life of its own, but only if you parent it yourself.
.-= milliverstravels´s last blog ..Vienna’s Open Air Cinema =-.
Hi Milli,
As a published author, you would know! The job just starts when the ink is dry. That’s not the end of the journey but the beginning of a whole new – and necessary – chapter!
George
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