How do you know if a book subject and theme are salable?
I get this question A LOT!
Let me begin by saying there is no way to offer a blanket answer for what is salable. That’s the whole art of being an agent: determining, on a case-by-case basis, what is salable and what isn’t. Even amongst agents, we can disagree over any given proposal.
When we dissect a proposal, we think of:
🖋 the genre,
🖋 current competition,
🖋 what’s currently in the pipeline in the publishing world,
🖋 audience size.
We also look at:
🖋 the author’s credentials,
🖋 their platform,
🖋 if they have any past publications,
🖋 their track record,
🖋 the originality of the idea,
🖋 and the quality of the writing.
That’s just to name a few factors.
A good idea is NOT enough! Expertise is NOT enough!
It must be a merging of many factors—and all at exactly the right time in the market.
Understand that what is salable in September may not be salable in October. And that’s the agents job–to know this kind of information.
What I recommend to all writers:
✔ do a thorough research on the competition,
✔ make sure there is nothing like your proposal,
✔ make sure the market is huge and there is a need,
✔ build up your own credentials and platform, (this comes organically with repetition of your messaging)
✔ polish your writing,
⭐ and THEN find the appropriate agent.
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