analysis of the market

The publisher wants you to list books already in print that would compete with yours and explain why your book stands out. If your book has no competition, you have to convince the publisher that it fills a need in the market.

I'm always a bit baffled by publishers who ask this. Do they really not know their own market? Are they so huge and diverse in their publishing that they're not sure where it would fit in their lists? Or do they just want the author to demonstrate an awareness of their readership's demands? I'm never quite sure.

You have to do this for non-fiction book proposals. But it is a bit odd for children's. I'm also surprised they wouldn't know their own markets, but I suppose it's easier for them if you do the research. But if you're familiar with children's books it should be too hard. Like another poster said, just look up similar books and how well they're doing. To prove there's a market for your book...

In non-fiction book proposals, you also write why your book is different/better than the ones you are comparing it too, but I wouldn't do that unless they asked I guess. I dunno. This is a bit odd I think.

Analysis

If the publisher doesn't know the market, how do they expect you to know it? A market analysis makes sense with nonfiction, I suppose, but not with fiction. Analysis is teh job of an agent or a publisher, and I'd be cautious of any publisher who doesn't know the market inside and out. It's the publisher's job to know the market. How on earth will they market a book unless they know the market?