Nonfiction Proposals: Darcy Pattison

Non-Fiction Proposals: Scope Out the Competition Before You Write

If you consult a typical book about how-to-write a non-fiction proposal, you'll find a recommendation that you include a market analysis as part of the proposal package. The package typically should include a sample chapter, an outline or chapter breakdown, a biography or resume, indication of how the text will be illustrated, and a market analysis. Writers understand the first four, but what is the pesky "market analysis"? How important is it and what should you include? When I went in search of answers, I found a wide variety of opinions.

Editors Talk about the Value of Market Analysis

     Marc Aaronson, Sr. Editor for Henry Holt, (Note: Since this article was published, Aaronson has moved to Cricket Books to start his own imprint, Marcato Books) says a market analysis can be valuable, but only if it contains specific and concrete information that is realistic for a publisher to follow up on. For example, on a future list, Holt will publish a graphic novel that is also a memoir, that is, an autobiography done as a comic book. The author makes his living as a comic book artist and knows how to distribute and how to appeal to this niche market. His specific suggestions were helpful in showing Holt how to target a market they don't normally reach. In other words, the marketing analysis should provide information to a publisher that makes is clear how the book can find the right readers.
     Nicole Geiger, Publisher, Tricycle Press, also sees value in the marketing analysis. In the cover letter or in a brief paragraph, she wants to see that the author has done their homework. She wants to know what competing titles are on the market, how those titles differ from the proposed book and how it adds to the field. These help her evaluate how well the book might do on the market.
     Not all editors find a market analysis helpful. Erin Falligant, Submissions Editor for Pleasant Company, says that most non-fiction proposals they receive do not include a market analysis. One thing she often sees is endorsements from teachers, or someone in the field. Such endorsements do not give any extra weight to the proposal. Somewhat helpful is a short list of similar titles and information on how your manuscript compares with them. Falligant says, "Even that is not as important as following guidelines and a sending a great sample chapter. For Pleasant Company, if style appeals, we keep the samples on file and may use you for some other project."
     With the strongest negative opinion, Jill Davis, Senior Editor for Viking Children's Books says, "The market analysis is just junk mail . An author should be trying to sell their writing and everything else comes last. Editors have limited time to even look at the writing sample. The rest of the package is junk mail."
     Davis looks first at the writing sample, then at the information on how the text will be illustrated. "More and more with non-fiction today, the focus is how text and illustrative material complement each other. I want to see photocopies of photographs (no originals), not just a list. If it is 20th century, there are photos. Before that you can find etchings, plates, lithographs, or items to photograph." For her, the combination of text and illustration is the most important consideration. If these grab her, Davis says she will do her own market analysis.

The Value of a Market Analysis for an Author

     Underlying all these editors comments is the assumption that the writer has done a market analysis for themselves even if they don't share it with the publisher.
     Geiger says, "Why would an author spend time doing a particular topic if its been done before? Or if it has been done, the author should aim to do it better or in a unique way. A pre-writing market analysis, can save you from wasting your time doing something that doesn't need to be done again."
     For example, in the proposal for her forthcoming book, The Head Bone's Connected to the Neck Bone: The Weird, Wacky, Wonderful X-Ray (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, 2001), Carla McClafferty says, "One thing I pointed out was that the existing book about x-rays used artist illustrations and mine would use historical photographs."
     Sneed B. Collard III, author of Animal Dads, Our Wet World, and more than 25 other non-fiction children's books, says, "Just because a publisher doesn't mention how great your market analysis is, doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. But it suggests that it may be more valuable in helping you choose and shape a topic than it is in selling an idea to a publisher. As always, if your writing is strong and you focus on something you are genuinely passionate about, chances are that passion will come through to an editor and a sale will result."

Doing the Research

     How do you start researching the market for a paticular idea for a book?
     Falligant suggests a trip to a library or bookstore. "When considering a proposal, our editors often go to a library or bookstore that shelves books by topic to see what the competition is." It's an easy trip for an author, too.
     Look for other titles on your topic. Check them out or buy them and then study them.
     Here's a checklist of things to consider:

Are they for the library, trade or mass market audience?
What age level is this book aimed at?
How is the book illustrated?
What slant does the book take on the subject?
How many competing titles are there?
What is the publication date of the competing titles?
Is this sold through any niche markets that have well-defined distribution channels?

Online, booksellers such as Amazon.com have a wealth of information made accessible by flexible search engines. You can search by topic, age range, and publisher. Likewise, many publishers have websites that are goldmines of information. You can often guess at the URL (the web address) for a publisher by entering (insert the publisher's name where indicated). If that doesn't work, consult the Children's Book Council for a listing of publisher's websites: Alternately, you can consult the Library of Congress at .
Collard summarizes his market analysis process like this: " I do include a simple market analysis in my proposal. I used to look up subjects and titles in Books in Print, but now I run a Search by Age on Amazon.com. This provides me not only with similar books on that subject, but advance warning on forthcoming books. I also try to pay attention to what's coming out by browsing through publishers' catalogs. As I look through competing titles, I especially note who the publishers are. It could be that there are 15 books on the Aztecs, for instance, but if 14 of them are from library or mass-market publishers, I don't consider that a threat to a high-quality trade book and I'll mention that in my proposal. If there is another trade book that seems to mimic mine, but is different, I use my investigation to determine how my proposal is unique. If I can't draw a distinction, I will occasionally shelve a project for a few years or recast it in some way."

Targeting Submissions

     A second use of the market analysis is to help you target your submissions.
     Collard relies on a general knowledge of publishers and what they are currently publishing. "As far as targeting publishers, I don't consider that market analysis as much as just being familiar with what different publishers are publishing. This familiarity is important." However, Collard has the experience of twenty-five books working in his favor. Beginning writers need to work to gain this easy familiarity with various publishers. The best way to do that is to do market analysis of topics that interest them and let the information build as they repeat the process for different manuscripts.
     Davis also suggests that you research specific editors. On the copyright page of _Restless Spirit: The Life and Works of Dorothea Lange," (Viking, 1998) by Elizabeth Partridge, there is an acknowledgment that reads, in part, "Grateful thanks to my editor, Jill Davis. . . ."
     Davis says "Any non-fiction book that is fascinating requires a acknowledgment to the editor because the process is so long and involved. Look at the acknowledgments!"

Organizing the Information

     If you do include a market analysis, Marc Aaronson, Sr. Editor at Henry Holt emphases that you should be realistic. "Don't give me pie-in-the-sky comments like, ‘Oprah will love it!'" An example of an unhelpful marketing analysis would be "There are a million fourth grade teachers who will all love this book."
     An example of an author providing helpful marketing is Marina Tamar Budhos, author of Remix: Conversations with Immigrant Teenagers (Henry Holt, 2000). She hired a research team to find teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) and social workers who work with immigrants. Part of what she found was information about on-line list-serves for ESL teachers. Aaronson says, "That kind of very targeted marketing information does help. Publishers will evaluate information like this." He says it's always a trade-off of time and money whether or not the publisher can aggressively follow up on the information, but they will always consider it and do what they can.
     The actual analysis can be as short as a couple sentences in a query letter or could be a separate section of a proposal entitled, "Marketing Analysis," or "Similar Titles," or "Titles on the Same Topic." List the competing titles then add a brief notation of how your title differs.
One crucial difference is to note if the title is for the mass market, trade or educational market. Look also at copyright dates. The more recent the title, the more it should factor in as competition. If competing titles are more than three years old, though, you can do it anyway, says Davis.
     Second, list any special markets that might be appropriate. Aaronson warns, "The danger is being too broad. Think niche markets. Be specific, concrete and realistic."
      Be thorough in what you present. McClafferty says, "I don't hold anything back from the editor that I find out because if I can find this information, the publisher can too. I think it is better to be straightforward about all the facts and find a way for your project to fill a niche within what is already out there."
     How long should your marketing analysis be? Aaronson says it's a matter of common sense. "If it is self-evidently marketable, you can omit the analysis altogether, or keep it very short. If someone scratches their head and says why this book, then more is necessary." Geiger says, "There seems to be an inverse relationship between the marketing analysis and the quality of writing: the longer the marketing analysis, the worse the actual writing." She has seen an eight-page marketing analysis accompanied by a two-page outline for the text. Geiger emphasizes that good writing comes first, marketing second.
     A market analysis can be a valuable addition to a non-fiction proposal and actually help the editor and publisher envision both the book and its market. Ultimately, though, good writing is what sells any book.

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