Will Enough People Pay for Your Book?

Since publishing is a business, every book proposal rises or falls on this unavoidable question: “Will enough people buy this book to gain a return on the investment?” Not how many might appreciate it. Not who should read it. But how many will actually purchase it?

Potential buying behavior is far more than interest. Interest does not equal a sale. This distinction lies at the heart of every publishing decision. Publishers are not evaluating need in the abstract. When the Internet is relatively free, the publisher must ask a practical question: “Will enough people exchange money for this content?” Readers must believe the book is worth both their money and their time.

The buying public should be both identifiable and reachable. It gathers somewhere—online, in churches, in conferences, in newsletters. It shares a common need or issue that your book addresses.

Your audience remains abstract if you cannot describe that reader in a paragraph. Tell me what they struggle with, what they read, or what they are already buying. Publishers are not counting theoretical readers. They are estimating actual sales.

This is where platform defines the audience. You are not being tasked with reaching everyone, but you must demonstrate that enough people are already listening. (See question 1 in this series.) Somehow show that your audience is not hypothetical.

If your audience cannot be defined, it cannot be reached. And if it cannot be reached, it cannot generate revenue. This is more than a marketing exercise; it is a crucial economic question.

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5 Questions Your Proposal Must Answer Series:
Question 1. Is Your Audience/Platform Big Enough?
Question 2. Is Your Idea a Book or a Magazine Article?
Question 3. How Is Your Book Different (And Is It Different Enough)?
Question 4. Will Enough People Pay for Your Book?
Question 5. Why Should You Write It? Why Not Someone Else?