How do you find out which genres are a publisher's top sellers?

Pisco Sour · Oct 27, 2013

Hi,
Sorry if this question has been asked. I've seen posts about checking sales figures but nothing about finding out which genres are a publisher's best seller. Of course, I could be mistaken as I didn't read all 17 pages in this section. I'm talking romance sub-genres here, so, for example, if you have a cont. romance, M/F, to flog, is there a way to find out which publisher excels at selling these? Or a space op romance, vampire, western etc.?
I'm thinking it would be helpful for future submissions, as I've often read comments on AW that so and so publisher doesn't sell x,y,z very well. Or, conversely, that so and so publisher's top seller is x,y,z.
Thanks for any insight.

shadowwalker · Oct 27, 2013

This is one big reason to get an agent - they know these things, and they know who's looking for what and when.

Ken · Oct 27, 2013

... am guessing that there probably is a trade publication or website somewhere
where you could find something like this out. If information is useful, as this would
seem to be, then it's available. The thing to do is find out where it is. Someone in
the publishing industry might know, granted a list of such sort exists.

Pisco Sour · Oct 28, 2013

Hmmm... I've looked at a few publishers' websites that list their top 5 or 10 bestsellers, but, uff, life is too short to keep up to date every day/week and analyse that info. Several of the editors who offered for my two books said they were top seller genres which also got me to thinking. I'd submitted to them without really knowing if my classic Cont. Romance and New Adult fusion (although listed in their imprints) did well for them.

Ken, I hope you're right. It may be the sort of info that's too fluid to pin down. Of course, I could go straight to source and ask the publishers!

I hear you, Shadowwalker, about the agent. I actually turned down an agent who pounced on me after I received several offers for my books and decided to go it alone. I don't regret my decision, but maybe I'll consider trying to get an agent for wip and future books.

gingerwoman · Oct 29, 2013

Meh I have a pretty good idea, and you can ask me.

shadowwalker · Oct 29, 2013

gingerwoman said:
they have contacts in publishing and sell to those contacts

So Agent A only funnels stuff to Publishers 1 and 2, and Agent B only to Publishers 3 and 4? Somehow that's not the impression I've gotten.

Old Hack · Oct 29, 2013

shadowwalker said:
So Agent A only funnels stuff to Publishers 1 and 2, and Agent B only to Publishers 3 and 4? Somehow that's not the impression I've gotten.

Good agents have contacts at many publishers, but that doesn't mean they only sell to those contacts. They'll know enough about the market to know who publishes what well, and who is looking for what, and so on and so forth.

I know of a few agents who work with a limited number of editors: while the ones I'm thinking of have good reputations and their author-clients seem happy, I wouldn't sign with them.

shadowwalker · Oct 29, 2013

Old Hack said:
Good agents have contacts at many publishers, but that doesn't mean they only sell to those contacts. They'll know enough about the market to know who publishes what well, and who is looking for what, and so on and so forth.

I know of a few agents who work with a limited number of editors: while the ones I'm thinking of have good reputations and their author-clients seem happy, I wouldn't sign with them.

That's definitely more how I understood the way of agents and publishers to be.

Old Hack · Oct 30, 2013

gingerwoman said:
Meh I have a pretty good idea, and you can ask me.

Do you mean you know which genres do best for specific publishers, or do you mean you can tell the OP how to discover this information?

If the latter, then it would be more helpful if you'd explain it in-thread rather than suggesting we ask you (because the OP already has asked, by starting this thread); and if you mean the former, then you must have a huge database and a lot of insider knowledge which I'm sure agents and publishers would be very interested in. Unless you only know about a small sector of publishing, in which case you should really make that clear.

Pisco Sour · Oct 30, 2013

Gingerwoman,
That's great, thanks. If you don't mind my asking, how do you know which genres are selling well at different publishers? Is there somewhere you'd recommend me looking? Or do you have some magical mo-jo you can pass on?

I'm interested mainly in e-pubs who accept unsolicited ms since I don't have (and am not currently seeking) an agent. To start with, if you know what genres of romance sell best for Samhain, Ellora's Cave, Siren and Entangled, that would be helpful. I think the first three and Carina Press are the largest e-pubs for romance and/or erotica, but please correct me if I'm wrong. Entangled, I just like the look of and am considering submitting to in the future.
Actually, I'd be interested in finding out the top sellers for any of the romance pubs you know about if you can spare the time. I guess it doesn't make much sense to submit, for example, a sci-fi with romantic elements to a publisher who doesn't sell well in that category?
Thanks is advance

I'm also compiling a list of large well-knowns, middle ground, boutique, and start-up e-pubs in romance as I've looked but haven't found anything that categorises romance publishers in this way. Not saying there isn't a thread on it, mind - just haven't found it yet!

gingerwoman · Oct 30, 2013

Old Hack said:
You must have a huge data base... which I'm sure agents and publishers would be very interested in..... Unless you only know about a small sector of publishing, in which case you should really make that clear.

Pisco Sour said:
Hi,
I'm talking romance sub-genres here, .

The OP made it very clear in her original post that she was specifically asking about romance subgenres, at publishers and imprints, who take unsolicited submissions which is the small sector of publishing I know about. I think reading the full OP post made it clear she was referring to a small sector.
This knowledge I have of general trends comes from belonging to Romance Writers of New Zealand and knowing what's going on with all those authors, it comes from belonging to Romance Divas and listening and reading the info all those authors provide, it comes from reading the romance threads here, it comes from regularly checking sales on novel rank as inadequate as they are, they do give a vague indication of sales of romance at different romance publishers in different sub genres, it comes from reading the best seller lists at different publishers often, it comes form noting which romance titles from which publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts have hit the NYT and USA today best seller lists, it comes from regularly reading articles online, and from subscribing to romance publishers newsletters, it comes from reading all the relevant romance publishers submission guidelines (and by relevant I mean those that accept unsoliticed subs. It comes from reading publishers’, Facebook pages, twitters and editor interviews, it comes from noting what’s going on with twitter hashtags such as #MWL It comes from reading blogs where other authors conduct surveys and polls on sales rates at different romance publishers.
So yes I do feel that in my head is something of a huge database on this, but it's my perceptions based on all of the above not on some mathematical survey, and I'm not sure about the benefit to me of personally dumping all those hours of research at length in some random thread on a message board, so I will just invite the OP to PM me. it is very late here and I am also going to bed now.

Old Hack · Oct 30, 2013

gingerwoman said:
The OP made it very clear in her original post that she was specifically asking about romance subgenres, at publishers and imprints, who take unsolicited submissions which is the small sector of publishing I know about. I think reading the full OP post made it clear she was referring to a small sector. This knowledge I have of general trends comes from belonging to Romance Writers of New Zealand and knowing what's going on with all those authors, it comes from belonging to Romance Divas and listening and reading the info all those authors provide, it comes from reading the romance threads here, it comes from regularly checking sales on novel rank as inadequate as they are, they do give a vague indication of sales of romance at different romance publishers in different sub genres, it comes from reading the best seller lists at different publishers often, it comes form noting which romance titles from which publishers accepting unsolicited manuscripts have hit the NYT and USA today best seller lists, it comes from regularly reading articles online, and from subscribing to romance publishers newsletters, it comes from reading all the relevant romance publishers submission guidelines (and by relevant I mean those that accept unsoliticed subs. It comes from reading publishers’, Facebook pages, twitters and editor interviews, it comes from noting what’s going on with twitter hashtags such as #MWL It comes from reading blogs where other authors conduct surveys and polls on sales rates at different romance publishers.
So yes I do feel that in my head is something of a huge database on this, but it's my perceptions based on all of the above not on some mathematical survey, and I'm not sure about the benefit to me of personally dumping all those hours of research at length in some random thread on a message board, so I will just invite the OP to PM me. it is very late here and I am also going to bed now.

Thank you for clarifying the information you hold, and how you've acquired it.

Judging by some of the posts you've made here recently, in this thread and in others, you ltend to reach conclusions based on misconceptions, and you tend to read things into others' comments which aren't actually there (you did this with one of my comments just this morning). So long as you're doing these things then I'd be very wary of relying on information which you provided, and I'd advise everyone to take it with a pinch of salt.

I'm not saying you'd mislead anyone on purpose, Ginger, and I do appreciate the efforts you go to to help people here: but I also have to consider the effect this might have on people who take your advice in good faith.

I would also appreciate it if you would stop editing your posts. Don't post until you're certain of what you want to say, and once you post, leave your words to stand. It's confusing and unhelpful for you to keep changing what you've said, and it's not appropriate to attempt to rewrite conversations in the way that you do. Own your words, Ginger. Own your words.

Pisco Sour · Oct 30, 2013

Sorry AW,
I never meant for my post to be so controversial, and many apologies for starting a row. Since I'm the OP I'm going to jump in and say, Old Hack, I appreciate the way you're trying to make sure the info is accurate, especially since I am a newbie writer and take to heart (a lot of) what I read on AW. And, Ginger, many thanks to you also for willing to share what you know about romance e-pubs.

For clarity, I won't take anything posters want to chime in on this thread as gospel. Promise! I would love it if people did share what they've found through their own research or experiences, if possible, so everybody interested can read it.

Old Hack · Oct 31, 2013

Pisco, please don't worry: you've done nothing wrong and have nothing to feel uncomfortable about. You're fine.

Ginger, when I ask you to stop editing your posts it is inappropriate for you to respond by writing a post and then editing it twenty-three times. This has got to stop.

The edit button's presence doesn't mean we are encouraged to make repeated changes to the content and the meaning of what we've written here. It is meant to allow us to correct wrongly-formatted quotes, or to add links that we forgot to include, that sort of thing. Nothing more.

I don't want to discourage you from posting here. I really don't. But I do not think it's appropriate for you to edit so many of your posts here so many times. Stop doing it. Right now. Thank you.

How do you find out which genres are a publisher's top sellers?

Pisco Sour

shadowwalker

empty-nester!

Ken

Pisco Sour

gingerwoman

shadowwalker

empty-nester!

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

shadowwalker

empty-nester!

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

Pisco Sour

gingerwoman

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

Pisco Sour

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman