When engaged in the editing of my novel, I’ve learned an important lesson. I might have two books on my hands rather than just one. What that means is that even after assiduous editing – chopping here, tossing out there – I still have a novel so large that to put it out on the market as is would seriously impinge its marketability. Now, I could continue the cutting until the story was bled dry of character development, world building, mood, atmosphere, excitement etc. However, the question that has been pressing down on me is: What would the market for a book in my genre tolerate?
When I first started writing, I naively thought Marketing came “later”, after all the writing, editing and cover design was finished. Yeah, I was that clueless. Luckily, I came around and began studying more closely the target market for my novel. Something I highly recommend to any newbie writer out there. I learned some interesting things.
Such as the average size for a novel in the Paranormal Historical Thriller is 300 to 400 pages. 600 + page epics sell best in the fantasy genre though mostly if your name is J. R. R Tolkien or George R. R. Martin. Also, my target audience of women 20 years old and up, prefer series to simple standalone books. Doesn’t mean they don’t read standalone just that they prefer a series.
So, what would be an option for you if you had a massive tome on your hands that held so much of your blood, sweat and creativity within it? Look below…
Market Research really helps you! Who knew? Yes, that was sarcasm. One other fun thing I learned was that the most enjoyable form of market research is to read books in the same genre as your novel. Understanding what makes a successful story and reflecting how your novel fits within the market alongside your competition is extremely valuable. Not to mention you get to immerse yourself in some great books.
So, I’m in the process of dividing my Magnum Opus into a pair of books that are an engaging set of stories and can be released in fairly short order. I think it’ll be cool as my “world/alternate historical reality” will remain flush with atmosphere, character and emotion. In your writer’s journey, have you ever felt “writing to market” is something that is an insult to your craft or helps you shape a story with greater precision? Let me know.
I took a brief break from writing and editing to do a water-colour painting of a Cheetah. I love doing animal portraits and find a lot of peace when I paint them. Also, if you love Cheetahs or other animals, we have a number of different designs on a multitude of products in our Redbubble store. Check it out when you need that break from writing and doing market research.