Can you imagine a company like Ben and Jerry's ice cream deciding to sell a new flavor without taste testing the concoction first? It would never happen! Before they even begin to create a flavor, the company often canvasses ice cream lovers for suggestions. A lot of research and development goes into a new flavor before it goest to market. The company mixes and tastes, mixes and tastes, mixes and tastes, until they are completely satisfied with the test batches. Then, all the marketing details. They need to come up with a name and packaging for the new flavor that will excite discerning palettes and make customers want to scream for the new ice cream.
If you are a self-publishing author or independent publisher, the same kind of consideration needs to go into your book. Talk with those whom you think would be your prospective readers and get a feel for whether your book would be saleable or not. Research how many books have been published on the subject you want to write about. Think about who your market would be (main and ancillary). What would your stragey for reaching those markets be? Would you sell the book on-line? Do you know the most economical and quickest way to ship the book and how to keep track of the business end of shipping? What title and book cover would grab the attention of the reader?
There are alot of details to consider. The most successful independent publisher has crafted not only their manuscript carefully, but they have designed a complete plan for their publication from concept to market. They know their strengths and limitations and seek help for the parts of the plan they know little about.
No, Ben and Jerry's ice cream would not think of selling a new product without taste testing. A writer would not think of placing their book on a shelf for sale without editing either.
Terrific article! I LOVE the connection with ice cream and writing... I would LOVE to connect with that ice cream, too... yum!
A suggestion: how about an ice cream party where we actually "test" new flavors AND write reviews about them! Count me in if you ever do it!
Posted by: Rhonda Spellman | December 11, 2009 at 04:31 PM
Great article; very interesting comparison! It's true; it's important to know the market that you will be entering and market research is essential. If you want to minimize risk and improve your chances of success, you need sound, objective data.
Posted by: vesna_palmer@yahoo.com | December 10, 2009 at 12:04 AM
I'm amazed on how you have connected ice cream and the importance of getting to know one's market. I strongly agree that marketing isn't something that's done overnight. It sure takes research, tests, and opinion to come up with the right product to penetrate the targeted market. Good job!
Posted by: BookWhirl.com | December 08, 2009 at 10:09 PM