CONCEPT
As an author, you are bringing a product to market. It’s your job to do the heavy lifting in comparing it to other similar products out there. For this, I often turn directly to my marketing background. You might look at a product Ihelped bring to market: the SuperVee, which was a whammy bar or tremolo system that did not go out of tune, which was an issue for other products on the market. What made other products weak, made this one non-compete. It solved the unsolvable. See Super-Vee.com for a peek at the logo and product and see just how many product spin-offs there are now.
DIFFERENTIATE
Authors need to focus on that one strong product. And before you spend valuable time on your project, check your concept, see how strong it is and know what differentiates it in the marketplace.
At KidLit College, Jill Corcoran, Partner and Senior Agent, Transatlantic Literary Agency, and Mary-Kate Gaudet, Executive Director, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, joined writers to discussion discuss concept. Jill opened the conversation by talking about books, and how traditional ones are dead. So much has been done.
She talked about shifting your angle to make it stand out against what’s recently published. Agents, editors look for freshness in a project as what helps it to sell.
Know not only what concepts and ideas you are bringing to the marketplace, but know what has been done already and make certain yours will stand up and stand out. Because your best position is to bring that product to agents and editors that solves a problem or missing
as-pect in the genre category. And let me repeat that: within the genre category. I have, at times, had writers email and say, I’m writing a picture book- easy reader to write for those who are not quite ready for easy readers. Really? Where will this be shelved in a library system: between these two categories all alone on a shelf ? So, be reasonable. Work within genre categories. Sure, you can bring something new, like
Kate DiCamillo did with Flora and Ulysses, when she merged graphic novel panels into a middle grade illustrated project, but it was still a great middle grade illustrated project. So great, it earned a Newbery.
Concept must be strong to sell well. So, nail your vision for your work and know how it challenges what’s already out there to position it to sell through?
This is the author’s job. You must ask how well your ideas will compete in a competitive market. And you must be willing to infuse new, fresh ideas into your manuscripts as needed.
FLIP TO FRESH IDEAS
What is my book idea?
How strong a concept is it?
What will better position it?
How fresh or new angle am I bringing to this idea?
Take your topic, perhaps it’s generic. It’s not as marketable, so give it a lift! Let’s say you’ve written a pet book, but how aware are you of
your competition and the many titles already published on this concept. So, in order to stand out, you need to investigate and findit’s not sy-ourelling. You need a unique angle or bendt toin order to make it stand out in the market. Perhaps you shift this to a robot wanting a pet and bam! It may earn its be fresh enough to earn a publishing gicontractg.
Not just Tooth Fairy. Not just a holiday book. Not just the topic you are thinking, alone, but perhaps you add that something extra that salts and peppers it into your unique recipe for success—something that makes it your own.
CHALLENGE CONCEPT
What is your book about?
What’s universal?
What’s its marketability and audience?
How will it be promotable?
Take the time to write these out as this is perfect material to use in a query letter or proposal.
Consider what sales hooks your project offers: an educational layer, speaks to diversity, expands story using a dynamic visual layer? What about your project that makes a publisher believe it will sell well?
What will make your book stand out to a publisher?
You cannot be vague about this. Specificity is key. A lot of writers see a type of book in the market and think, I can write one of those. There’s a slight flaw in that reasoning.
If it’s been done, there’s no longer a need for that same book.
So you need to focus and goal must bring fresh and big ideas that sell well.
In the teen and perhaps even adult market, there’s been a huge draw for thrillers and true crime. In teen circles, this might be seen in the success of The 57 Bus, which shares the account of an 18-year-old
a-gender (not identifying as male or female) senior in high schooler, who was badly burned on the 57 bus in Oakland in 2015.
The New York Times reporter Daska Slater reported the incident:
As Sasha slept, three teenage boys laughed and joked nearby.
Then one sur-reptitiously flicked a lighter. The skirt went up in a ball of flame. Sasha leapt up, screaming, “I’m on fire!” Two other
passengers threw Sasha to the ground and extinguished the flames, but Sasha’s Shasha’s legs were left charred and peeling. Taken by ambulance to a San Francisco burn unit, Sasha would spend the next three and a half weeks undergo-ing multiple operations to treat the second- and third-degree burns that ran from thigh to calf.
This event stayed with her. She wanted to do more with this. She could use the incident and spin a fiction novel, but she didn’t. She actually produced in a fresh approach to sharing the media events that were reported about the incident in her unfolding narrative. The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and has received numerous awards and accolades.
Long story short? Avoid jumping on a trend. Think more about how your work fits into the market and how you can make your concept stand out. What fits your voice and style? What means a lot to you that you believe others will care about?
“Know that concept can be told by the stories structure, its plot, setting—all of these things are tools to up your conceptual ante,” says Mary-Kate Gaudet.
To see what already exists in the market, you can turn to Publisher’s Weekly or Publishers Marketplace.
Twilight went big, but you not don’t want another one. Fancy Nancy
sold well, but you don’t want a duplicate effort.
Now, so much is being driven by YouTube hits. Twitter. Viral Videos.
Huge money-makers on Kickstarter. Watch these as well.
I happened to just read that Grumpy Cat, which was a huge sensation and lead to book deals was now surpassed by a new Cat in the game. And this cat has earned its concept origina-tors two houses and more.
Take time to come up with a compelling concept. Think fiction. See what’s being done in nonfiction.
Ask yourself: “What angle are you going to come at this topic to make it exciting for readers? What is your concept and where does your concept fit—or what category does it fall into: first day of school, what is the hook?” says Jill Corcoran.
“I am drawn to manuscripts that have a lot of layers in them. But at the same time, it’s important that your layers feel natural and not forced,” says Mary-Kate Gaudet. “If you are trying too hard to make
something funny or to be sentimental, I think it’s apparent and needs to feel natural. I think it’s important for a kid’s book to feel ernestearnest. It needs to feel like it’s com-ing from the heart of a kid to a kid. As much as you are talking about craft and concept, it’s also important
to take your original concept and write something that’s natural and comfortable to you. More organic to you.”
Funny and also hitting the heart of friendship.
But what’s the takeaway? What is your ‘so-what’ factor?
The book has to stick with you for some reason. What are you taking away as a writer? Is it something that touched your soul because those make the best books. You want books that are fresh and innovative, but also organic to you. Just be certain you know your concept is strong.
Why waste time when you can write something you know serves up something that will make a significant and special contribution— why writing write anything else?