Get Published! How to Conduct a Market Survey in 20 Minutes or Less



Posted: Friday, November 19, 2010

by Carmen Berry
http://www.carmenberry.com

Publishers want prospective authors to know what's hot and what's not in their topic area. You need to know who the major authors are in your topic area, what's selling right now, and where the market is heading. The quickest and easiest way I've found to accomplish this is to go to where the books are-to a major chain that carries the hottest books on the self-help book market. Follow these 3 steps and you'll be on top of the market in 20 minutes or less (depending on how fast you can run.)

Once you're inside the book store, here's what to do:

1. Go to the nonfiction bestsellers shelves.

Bookstores want to push books that is selling well, so usually bestseller sections are easy to find and in the front of the store. You'll find that nonfiction is divided into two sections: hardback and paperback. Take a good look at both.

Are there any bestselling books on the topic you want to write about? If so, write down the important info. If you see a book that is considered a "classic" or on the cutting edge, I recommend you buy it. It will come in handy when you sit down and write a market summary.

What if you don't find any books on your topic on the bestseller lists? Well, don't get too discouraged yet. Your topic might still be one that will sell a lot of books. Let's take the next step.

2. Go to the shelf devoted to your topic

Bookstores and online book distributors want readers to easily find the books they want to buy so they are divided into sections. Find your topic area and make a list of all the significant books in your topic area. Once again, if you find a highly popular author or book I recommend you get it for review.

If there are only one or two books on your topic area, that may mean that there aren't enough readers who will buy the book you want o write. If you can't find any books, or can't locate a section devoted to your beloved topic, then that's really bad news. It's time to find another topic.

3. Take a look in the bargain section

Books are like produce-they don't sell well once they're overly ripe. How do you know if the market has moved beyond a particular topic or approach? You guessed it. The books end up in the bargain bins. Listing these books is as important as listing the bestsellers. If you were planning on writing a book similar to one that's being sold for 40% off, I recommend you rethink your project. You want to be out ahead of the market riding the wave, not languishing in the tide pools. But if you don't see very many, then you may have found a great topic!

Phew! Did you get an overview of what's out there? Granted, you may want to spend a little more time than 20 minutes perusing important books. But now that you've visited these three areas, you know what's hot, and what's not.
To learn how to get your book published download your free article, “The 3 Most Important Questions You Must Answer to Land a Book Contract a the www.carmenreneeberry.com/untitled16.html

Carmen Berry, MSW is a New York Times bestselling author who has taught aspiring authors how to get published for 10 years. She draws from her successes but also the many mistakes she has made over the past 25 years so that her clients can avoid making common-sense blunders that many first-time authors make. She works with clients who love helping people such as mental health professionals, educators, medical professionals, pastors, fitness experts and craft enthusiasts.

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