There’s Always Room for One More if You Have a Different Angle

Since I’ve just sent out a book proposal, I’m reminded of all the work that creating one involves. There’s the actual cover letter, which is very similar to a query in that it tries to grab an editor or agent’s interest with a quick overview of the project. Then there’s the table of contents with its chapter synopses, sample chapter, and so on–whatever a particular place asks to see. One other essential is your market analysis.

This particular step really ought to be done before you tackle much else. If there’s no market for your book, why bother writing it unless you have a very focused niche and are willing to self-publish it? If you’re writing for a mass audience, you need to convince the powers that be that your book will stand out among similar titles. (And, I will say right here that most people will not be inventing a new genre–competition exists!)

This can be a heart-rending process if you realize that your own book idea does not really differ all that much from what’s already out there. If every relevant book on your topic is out of print or more than ten years old, you may indeed be able to make a case that it’s time for a new look at the topic, even if your take on it won’t differ too much from the past. But, in most cases this won’t be true. Bottom line? Unless your book is going to include material others aren’t offering, why would a publisher want to take it on? This kind of information doesn’t have to be earth-shaking, just something no one else has covered or covered well. Is there new research available? Are you going to approach the material from a different angle? Have you found new sources of information that no one else has used? Are you going to be easier to understand in some way?

Anyone perusing titles in a bookstore or online can see that there’s room for several books on any one topic. Your job is to make yours different enough that you can demonstrate an unmet need in an audience with a past history of paying for information on the topic.