by A.C. Williams @ACW_Author
You already know you’ve written the best book ever, but the most difficult step is to get everyone else to realize that it’s the best book ever. So how do you do it? How can you convince someone to read your book? That’s the tricky part.
So far in this series on self-publishing, we’ve talked about setting your goals, understanding your legal rights as a self-published author, ISBNs, and distribution channels (Links to all the posts are at the bottom). This month, we’re going to focus on an element of self-publishing that may not even be on your radar: Market Research.
When you decide to self-publish your book, you are basically agreeing to become the primary decision maker in every aspect of your book’s future. It’s not just producing a high-quality book that will be competitive in the industry, and it’s also not just making sure the distribution channels are open so that your book can even get to your readers. Self-publishing includes your marketing plans, your promotional strategies, and your author branding too.
In many instances, you can hire a professional to help you with any marketing that needs to be done, but a marketing expert can only help you with so much. If you don’t have a firm grasp on what your book is about or why someone should read it, you’re going to struggle in any promotional communications.
So how do you do it? How do you capture a potential reader’s attention when the average reader’s attention span is rapidly diminishing? A quick Google search says that a person’s attention span is around 8 seconds.
Eight seconds? That’s unreasonable. But if we only have 8 seconds to catch someone’s attention, how do we make the most of each one of those moments in time?
Every audience is different. Every reader wants something unique most times. And readers hesitate to pick up a new-to-them author because they aren’t sure if they can trust it. But how can you address those concerns in eight seconds?
In my experience, the best strategy you can use to help a new reader decide if your story is right for them is a handy-dandy, helpful little literary device called a Comp Title.
Comp Titles, or comparative titles, are usually an important part of a book proposal. Providing a list of books similar to your own that are already published and successful in the industry is a great way to research not only what is currently working but also different options for promotion.
For example, the book Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a fairytale retelling set in a futuristic society. The main character is part cyborg and works as a mechanic to support her stepmother and stepsisters. The story culminates with a tension-filled confrontation at a ball where the main character attends as the special guest of the prince.
All right? That’s 54 words total. You could go through all of that to explain what Cinder is about. Or you could simply say:
It’s a Cinderella retelling in space!
Six words. The book Cinder is a unique combination of multiple different fairytale elements all ingeniously jumbled together with the space opera genre, but the best way to get someone’s attention at the very beginning is to explain the story in the terms of a story people already recognize. That’s all a comp title does.
Another fantasy book I enjoyed thoroughly was Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim, a brilliant fantasy adventure story that combines elements of Disney’s Mulan and the fashion reality show Project Runway. Two completely different existing stories combined to explain a totally unique new story.
So what about your story? How can you identify the unique story elements that exist within it in order to find a comp title that will work for you?
Well, first of all, you really need to read. A lot. If it’s possible, you need to read more than you write. It’s the only way to know what is current in the industry. It’s the best way to keep up with popular author voices too. But it also teaches you what publishers are putting out into the market, which can give you an idea of what readers actually want.
Consider Your Tropes
What tropes do you use in your story? Enemies to lovers? Friends to lovers? Grumpy/sunshine? Forbidden love? Second chance romance? Curmudgeon and cute child? Orphaned protagonist? Noble hero with a tragic past? Magical MacGuffin?
You may even have tropes in your story that you don’t realize. Ask a well-read friend to help you sort them out. Once you have identified the tropes you are using, see if you can find a comparable already-published book you can use.
Consider Your Plot
What happens in your story? Is it a heist? Is it a quest for an object? Are your characters preparing for an event?
Think about the plot you have designed and see if you can identify similarities between it and other books that are already on the shelves.
Consider Your World
Is your story set in space? Is it a Hallmark-style story? Is it an epic fantasy? Is it focused on a specific culture like ancient Greece or Rome, feudal Japan, colonial America?
You can always integrate the setting of your story in your comp titles.
Those are just a few of the ways you can sort through the myriad comp titles for your fiction books. But if you find the right one, you will be able to connect with potential readers in only a few words. Once you have their attention, then all you need to do is wow them with your story.
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Don't Miss the Rest of the Posts in This Series on Self Publishing:
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