Market Research

For me, one of the most difficult aspects of writing is finding a home for my work. I’m not a patient person, so sitting and doing research is painful. Keeping the information organized is also not fun, but necessary.

Some people study the various books that come out every year, looking for the right match. I have to keep the bookmark or the legend that comes with it nearby, otherwise I can’t keep those symbols straight. Others use online tools, putting in keywords, and hoping they’re the right keywords. Yet others pay a service to do it for them.

Before online searches were available, I purchased two different market research books each year. I read the listings, highlighted certain ones, crossed out some that were definitely out of my genre, then the books sat, and I usually didn’t go any further than that.

When market research became available on the Internet, I bought a subscription. I poked around a bit, saved some searches, and never did anything else with them. Maybe I’m a dinosaur, but I missed my big books. I felt incomplete because I didn’t see every listing.

One day, I ran across Writer’s Relief (see my review here). I signed up for their newsletter and I saw the services they offered, but didn’t pay much attention. I paid attention when I won a contest, and my prize was free market research.

I probably didn’t do a great job filling out their form, but they still managed to find twenty agents for me to query. It was fast, it was painless, and I didn’t have to do the research myself. And because they have a huge, up-to-date database, the search was, I imagine, fast and painless for them as well. They also sent a tracking sheet they prepared, and my submissions went right out.

These days, I still struggle with market research. I haven’t bought the books in years, I let my subscription to the online service lapse, and I haven’t purchased services from any company. I find myself reading the random listings for agents and publishing houses in the newsletters I receive. That’s how I found Musa Publishing, my current publisher.

In the end, I suppose it doesn’t matter how it gets done.  As long as it gets done.