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#TheFinalFifteen Marketability! Let’s talk about it. New writers can get justifiably frustrated when trying to figure out what makes a ‘marketable’ book. Agents and editors discourage trend-chasing, but reject books for not being marketable enough
Let’s talk about what marketability does and doesn’t mean. A marketable book is NOT one that appeals to every reader, or even every reader of a genre.
A marketable book has a clearly identifiable audience, of a certain size, within a subgenre. That’s the info comp titles reveal.
It makes more business sense to say “okay, the twenty thousand people who bought X will CERTAINLY buy Y” than “the million people who bought X Big Bestseller MIGHT like Y.” Might is tricky. You can’t make a business case for that small ‘might.’
To me, a marketable book:
1) has recent, reasonable, clear comp titles
2) is the same level of quality as those comps
3) adds something new to the subgenre while still satisfying fans
4) has a quick, snappy pitch to attract widespread reader attention
1) has recent, reasonable, clear comp titles
2) is the same level of quality as those comps
3) adds something new to the subgenre while still satisfying fans
4) has a quick, snappy pitch to attract widespread reader attention
If you write only for the market, you run a strong risk of not being original enough to attract attention in the slush pile. You might have crafted a paranormal with all the appeal of Twilight, but Twilight is already on shelves.
Writing only for the market dissuades writers from fleshing out the emotional landscape of their worlds. Stephanie Meyer LOVED writing Bella and Edward—if you’re only writing to please gatekeepers, your story might wind up feeling flat
Successful writers should be aware of their subgenre, what pleases and surprises readers, but they shouldn’t let the idea of “the market,” as a whole, dictate their every creative choice. It’s about finding balance you can work with
Let’s break down these elements: comp titles! For the book that got me my agent, I had the comp titles in mind even BEFORE I started drafting. I knew right away where that book would fit in the genre
If you find yourself struggling to find the right comps, especially after a book is written, it might not be the right title to start your trad pub career. No matter how good a book is, you can’t just retrofit it to the market
Quality: it’s not just enough that a book is excellent (though you need to be excellent) but that your book shares the features with the comp titles readers love best
If you comp Spinning Silver, I expect gorgeous prose and atmosphere. If you comp Ready Player One, I expect nerdy nostalgic humor. If you comp Twilight, I expect yearning and angst.
Comp titles aren’t just about the plot—they’re about the general feel of the book
Comp titles aren’t just about the plot—they’re about the general feel of the book
