Paul Whybrow
Full Member
I've been thinking about what sells a book by a debut author. By that, I mean to agents initially—and that might mean hooking the attention of a self-employed reader who trawls their slush pile, or an editorial assistant or unpaid intern, long before the agent examines your manuscript.
Then, the literary agent will try to arouse the interest of a publisher, who will be looking at your book as a commercial product, not as a work of art. Should they decide to commit to printing it, the bookshops will need to be courted to stock it on their shelves where space is at a premium. Somewhere in there, book critics get involved with pre-publication copies for review. Getting reviewed is crucial to a novel's success, and even an unfavourable savaging of your work is better than being ignored!
They're the groups of influential publishing industry folk who stand between you having your book as a computer file and it becoming a printed book. But, what factors actually sell the book—to those in the book trade—and the reading public?
I've listed what I think are the most important things, concentrating on traditional book deals, but much applies to the self-publishing of ebooks.
Feel free to disagree with me!
In order of importance:
1) A catchy concept—what is the story about? Commonly referred to as the 'elevator pitch' when the writer explains their story in a few sentences. It has to be something intriguing, slightly different to what's already out there.
2) The title of the book—good reviews will lift a poor title, but it should be memorable, and, after all, it is the label of your product. A murder-mystery called Death of a Good Man might be an apt working title, but more readers would be intrigued by calling it Who Killed the Sexy Vicar? Do you want to look respectable on a publisher's website or make sales?
3) Marketability of the author...their existing social media platform, including blog + existing ebook sales that indicate a loyal following. What does their biography say about them? A crime book written by an ex-copper would be taken more seriously than one by a retired librarian. It might payoff if you're a convicted murderer!
What about the writer's appearance for publicity shots? Some novels I've read recently had no pic of the author on the cover, making me wonder if they're hideous!
4) Decent writing. A story that flows and captivates the reader. We're all advised that it's the quality of our writing that will ensure success, and while I agree that it helps, it doesn't guarantee your story will be noticed in the first place. I've recently read several best-selling crime novels that could have been penned by a 12-year-old, so basic was the vocabulary with the longest and most complicated word being Kalashnikov—a manufacturer of assault rifles.
5) Luck, much of which is down to timing. People of influence have to know your manuscript exists, and that's largely down to fate. Also, you could have submitted the most perfect tale of love, betrayal and murder in the Sahara that's ever been penned, but if three similar books recently failed to find a publisher to take them on, then yours is probably doomed. You won't be aware of any of that, and the agent you've queried won't tell you.
6) The cover design. A beautiful or clever book cover attracts readers to pick the book up, but won't save a patchy narrative with poor plotting.
7) The price...be it hardback, paperback or ebook, unless you're buying from a charity/thrift store books are pricey. Traditional publishers shot themselves in the foot by being greedy in what they asked for ebooks. Then again, the pricing of anything is a peculiar exercise in how people perceive what is good value. Setting your first novel's price ultra-low might seem like an attractive deal, but readers could think that it's of low quality and not worth charging more, without having read it.
What do you think sells a book?
Then, the literary agent will try to arouse the interest of a publisher, who will be looking at your book as a commercial product, not as a work of art. Should they decide to commit to printing it, the bookshops will need to be courted to stock it on their shelves where space is at a premium. Somewhere in there, book critics get involved with pre-publication copies for review. Getting reviewed is crucial to a novel's success, and even an unfavourable savaging of your work is better than being ignored!
They're the groups of influential publishing industry folk who stand between you having your book as a computer file and it becoming a printed book. But, what factors actually sell the book—to those in the book trade—and the reading public?
I've listed what I think are the most important things, concentrating on traditional book deals, but much applies to the self-publishing of ebooks.
Feel free to disagree with me!
In order of importance:
1) A catchy concept—what is the story about? Commonly referred to as the 'elevator pitch' when the writer explains their story in a few sentences. It has to be something intriguing, slightly different to what's already out there.
2) The title of the book—good reviews will lift a poor title, but it should be memorable, and, after all, it is the label of your product. A murder-mystery called Death of a Good Man might be an apt working title, but more readers would be intrigued by calling it Who Killed the Sexy Vicar? Do you want to look respectable on a publisher's website or make sales?
3) Marketability of the author...their existing social media platform, including blog + existing ebook sales that indicate a loyal following. What does their biography say about them? A crime book written by an ex-copper would be taken more seriously than one by a retired librarian. It might payoff if you're a convicted murderer!
What about the writer's appearance for publicity shots? Some novels I've read recently had no pic of the author on the cover, making me wonder if they're hideous!
4) Decent writing. A story that flows and captivates the reader. We're all advised that it's the quality of our writing that will ensure success, and while I agree that it helps, it doesn't guarantee your story will be noticed in the first place. I've recently read several best-selling crime novels that could have been penned by a 12-year-old, so basic was the vocabulary with the longest and most complicated word being Kalashnikov—a manufacturer of assault rifles.
5) Luck, much of which is down to timing. People of influence have to know your manuscript exists, and that's largely down to fate. Also, you could have submitted the most perfect tale of love, betrayal and murder in the Sahara that's ever been penned, but if three similar books recently failed to find a publisher to take them on, then yours is probably doomed. You won't be aware of any of that, and the agent you've queried won't tell you.
6) The cover design. A beautiful or clever book cover attracts readers to pick the book up, but won't save a patchy narrative with poor plotting.
7) The price...be it hardback, paperback or ebook, unless you're buying from a charity/thrift store books are pricey. Traditional publishers shot themselves in the foot by being greedy in what they asked for ebooks. Then again, the pricing of anything is a peculiar exercise in how people perceive what is good value. Setting your first novel's price ultra-low might seem like an attractive deal, but readers could think that it's of low quality and not worth charging more, without having read it.
What do you think sells a book?
