How do you query a book that isn't marketable?

[@JPWrites]

- What would you do in this situation - keep querying, put the book on hold until the market/your success as an author changes, or self-publish? - If you're a hybrid author, did you find that your self-publishing experience helped or hindered your ability to find a traditional book deal? - How do you get past the 'is it good enough' concern when self-publishing?

[@JB-bq2qj]

Jackie, this video was gold for me, thanks! I'm also writing a superhero/organized crime type of story so I'm piggybacking on your research 😅

[@JPWrites]

That's awesome - you'll have to let me know how it goes!

[@grimreads]

You can always self-publish under a different pen-name as a test to see if the book is good or not and still pursue an agent with an alternate pen-name. Not sure if it work though.

[@JPWrites]

Thanks for the suggestion - I didn't even think about pen names!

[@cee8974]

You make great points about your choices, and I would only add one thing: your "debut" is the release that trad pub is most interested in. You'll notice that debuts get the majority of marketing and attention (which has its issues, but that's beside the point). If you really want to pursue traditional publishing, I wouldn't self-publish your first novel. If it sells averagely, you hurt your chances for trad pub significantly. Tbh if your heart isn't really in self publishing it might not be the best option. Being an indie author is a very different job and set of skills. As a random stranger on the internet, I'd recommend querying your YA superhero novel, and just putting it aside for now if you don't find an agent. You can be like Meyer or Schwab, and have it be your sophomore book/series, after selling a more easily marketable book

[@JPWrites]

That's a great point - I'd never considered the importance of it being my debut, and how that could influence my trad pub chances more than if I chose to self pub later in my career. Thanks for the feedback!

[@wielandsmith]

Man... this is what I hate about industries that gatekeep... movies, publishing. I'm going to try trad because it was suggested, but if I don't get an agent, I'm self-publishing. I know a lot of people that successfully make a living off of their self-published books. It's more of a hustle, but the idea of putting something on the shelf because the "market" isn't right... I don' t know... it puts so much control in other people's hands.

[@NicoleWilbur]

So I remember in Alexa Donne’s “dead genres in publishing” video, she did say superheroes were hard to sell. Maybe check that video out! I wonder if you could pitch it different? It is a superhero story, but perhaps with some tweaks you could make it seem more pure sci fi or pure fantasy? Michelle Schustsrman has good content on this! I LOVED Powerless so I do hope it gets to see the light of day eventually :)

[@JPWrites]

Thanks for the recommendations - I'll check them out! I also had another comment that maybe I could make another book my debut, and Powerless could be a later release, so I'm also open to that approach.

[@myfocustoprogress7228]

Im just an outsider looking in i only write for myself, with that said. 1. Why not send out to 25 agents wait they few months and send out to the other 25 agents. 2. Why not self publish under a "Pen Name" if the book is a hit then claim it. If its not a hit no ones gonna know its you. 3. I think you can find an underground audience for your book, and tell you truth most of the greatest fandoms start underground grassroots anyway, before the general population. The grassroots audience are the folks that will stick by you through thick and thin general population fans are the sweet icing that like to claim they were always into your work lol Well that's my 2 cents lol

[@JPWrites]

I didn't even think of using a pen name - thank goodness for comments, lol!

[@hendohenderson7118]

Can't help you with any of the actual advice you're looking for - everything I've ever done has only been published in a zine we made ourselves when I was a uni student. I'd also have to actually write something and finish it before I could even come close to looking at publishing. As for when it's 'good enough', probably when I'm still enjoying the story when I read back over it. There was one I started a few years ago that I still really like reading over until the point where it stopped going where I wanted it to (twice - 25,000 words deleted because it went completely off the track). If I could get it back to how I want it to go, and fix up some of the consistency issues, then I reckon it'd be good enough. Maybe not good enough to be published proper, but I'd be happy with it. How'd you go with the new idea you were thinking about?

[@JPWrites]

I've tried a little bit of outlining with the new idea, but didn't get much further than what was already swimming around in my head for it, so I'm considering pantsing for the first time in my life... or maybe plantsing. 😅

[@hendohenderson7118]

@@JPWrites When it comes to writing, planning and pants are preferred, but technically optional. Best of luck with your new ideas and the query process!