Guest Author - Yvonne Russell

When you write a children's book, you know you will have competition... and lots of it. What may surprise you is where the competition comes from.

Other books
You obviously have competition from other books in your niche. Also, every other book in the bookstore is potential competition. We're talking here about market share, and your piece of the pie. If a consumer has $x to spend, they have to make decisions on how to spend their money.

Many authors, booksellers and publishers assert that when looking at competition in the marketplace, you need to look further than just other authors and books. This element of competition is to some extent, a known quantity. Also, if someone is in the bookstore, they are interested in books. That's a good start.

In the bookstore
The fact that the bookseller has more than one book on your topic could actually work in your favor. Customers like choice. Perhaps your book stands out from the crowd. Perhaps, a customer needs books for a number of children. A parent may be delighted to find a bundle of stories or extreme sports books suitable for a reluctant reader.

Each book within a bookstore section, has the potential to spark interest in other books alongside it. Also, each section has the potential for customers to gravitate to other sections to browse.

Entertainment
What is less predictable, and largely out of the control of the publisher, bookseller and the author, is the non bookstore competition for the marketing dollar. The general public are spending more on entertainment than ever before. Movies, iPods, computer games, in home entertainment systems, theme parks and travel are just a few marketing areas competing for the disposable consumer dollar.

Tie Ins
Publishers aim to capitalise on this trend, rather than be intimidated by it. Thus, you see the deluge of book tie ins with movies, toys, food and clothing. There are people who have never read Harry Potter, Stuart Little or Lord of the Rings, but have seen the movie. Notice that long before a a new blockbuster movie comes out, the books (some with special movie edition jackets) are selling in the bookstores. Experience shows that seeing the movie often sparks interest in reading the book. Later, when the DVD comes out, there is a renewed surge of interest in the book.

What about my book?
What if your book is not Narnia, Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? If you have targeted your niche well, (and the publisher would not have published the book without doing their homework), there will be a market for your book.

Again, the precarious nature of publishing and the marketplace, should further cement your resolve to be as involved as possible in working with the publisher to be proactive in marketing your book. It should also serve as a strong reminder, that you must think of yourself as a business person, and market not only your book, but also yourself.