Understand and Know Your Competition

After reviewing countless book proposals, you would be shocked at the large number of authors who include a competition section that begins, “This idea has no competition because it is unique and has never been done before.” Or they say, “There is nothing like this in the marketplace. No competition.” Wrong. If you have this type of language in your proposal, remove it. The acquisitions editor or literary agent will know that you are an amateur who has no real sense about the realities of the book publishing marketplace.

While your material is unique and will fill an exclusive unique place in the market, every new book will compete with other books. King Solomon had it right when he wrote, “there’s no end to the publishing of books” (Ecclesiastes 12:12 The Message).

You are the expert on your particular topic, so it’s important that you include which books will compete with your product. I often tell writers to imagine their book in the bookstore. Which section of the bookstore will contain your book? Now think about the books that will be next to your book. Who are these authors and what will make a customer select your book instead of a competitor’s?

In this section, you need to list half a dozen books that will be direct competition to your proposed book. In particular, make sure you examine the bestselling books in your specific category such as self-help or religion. You need to do more than simply list the titles. Now, here’s the key: Explain how your book is different and distinct from these books. Give a one or two sentence summary of the contents of the competing book, then a couple of sentences about how your book is different.

Many writers are surprised to learn that researching the competition is the responsibility of the author, not the publisher. No editor can be an expert in every aspect of the book market. You are the author who is asking the publisher to invest in your proposal—so you have the obligation to locate your competition, understand the content of the competition, then distinguish those books from the new product you propose.

When you list the competition, make sure you list the title of the competing book, the author, the publisher and the publication year. Many authors neglect at least one of these aspects in their competition section of the book proposal. As an editor, I would have to ask them to revise their proposal and include it. To make this request, I had to locate a phone number or email address for the author (your proposal should include both elements), ask for the additional information and give them a deadline. To make these types of requests require the editor’s time which is in short supply. This lack also gives your proposal another reason for that dreaded form rejection letter.

As the writer, you may never know the true reason your proposal was rejected; thus, your objective should be to “rejection proof” your book proposal and eliminate this type of simple omission.

If a particular competing product has been on the bestseller list or has sold many copies and you have this information, then include it in this section about the competition. Such information will affirm your expertise in the topic for the editor (or agent). Your book proposal is your business plan and the competition section is an important part of your research.

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.