Build Your Knowledge of the Book Market
A portion of the 2022 Midwest Indie Bookstore Roadmap.
One of the most common pieces of writing advice I heard over the years at children’s writing conferences was “Don’t write to the market.”
In other words, don’t chase trends. For MG and YA novelists, don’t write another Harry Potter or Twilight.
Yep, gotcha.
But the problem was that I interpreted that advice to mean something else. I thought “Don’t write to the market” meant that I shouldn’t consider the marketplace at all, that I should write what I want and then see where it would fit.
That was a fundamental error on my part.
I want to write novels that will be traditionally published. I want book stores to sell my novels and libraries to lend my novels and readers to find and love my novels.
For all of that to happen, I need to understand the marketplace of books.
And if you want that too, so do you.
One way to gain a better understanding of the marketplace is by starting your market research much sooner.
Start your market research early
What does that look like? Once you have a fantastic idea for a novel in mind and you’ve figured out the basics, like who your main characters are and what their story is about, that is a great time to pause for a little research.
Search Amazon for the genre that you think your story idea falls under. If you start broad, like middle grade mystery, you’re going to get a ton of results. So try narrowing your search terms.
For example, when I searched Amazon using the terms “female detective historical mystery middle grade,” I got 58 results. The list included a few titles and authors I recognized, including these:
Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce, published in 2020, the first of a series and winner of an Edgar.
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg, published in 1968 and winner of a Newbery.
Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer, published in 2021 and possibly the last in that series. (Enola is the much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft.)
The list of results is certainly not all inclusive. Where, for example, is Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen by Marthe Jocelyn? And the books this list of results does include are not all recently published.
When I tried the same search terms on Goodreads.com, I got 0 results. I tried browsing through different categories on Goodreads. I went to “children’s” and then chose “middle grade” under Related Genres.
I saw several new releases, which is somewhat helpful. But I don’t see how to search more deeply than that.
Maybe I just need to start my own Goodreads list of excellent MG mysteries. But I digress.
Another way to search is with your library’s online catalog. One thing I’ve tried is entering a book I know I like, such as Aggie Morton. Then I go to that book’s record in the catalog. Below the book’s description is an option called “Similar Titles from NoveList.”
This feature, which is based on suggestions from librarians and other contributors, gives you a cover image and a few of the subject keywords used to categorize each recommended title. For example, the first book lists "child detectives," "preteen girls," and "eleven-year-old girls."
Note that these books don’t match all of my criteria. “Historical” is missing from the first book. But it’s obvious that no one search is going to provide everything.
What happens if I just use Google?
Using the same search terms as I did on Amazon, a Google search yielded links to personal blogs, public library blogs, older lists on Goodreads, and School Library Journal.
In other words, a big rabbit hole, or multiple rabbit holes, of potentially useful info about books.
Unfortunately, no one, single, free search is going to yield what I need.
It also points out that becoming market aware is an ongoing process.
Develop your market awareness over time
One way I try to stay abreast of at least some of the new books being published is by subscribing to The Horn Book Magazine. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s one of the leading review journals for children’s books.
I currently subscribe to the print copy only, but I could bundle that subscription with a digital one and then get access to a database of their reviews. That could be super useful.
Meanwhile, when I read reviews, I’m reading as a book coach as well as a writer. I’m on the lookout for books my clients may find useful as well as myself.
How do you like to learn about the MG/YA book market?