This is a question agents and publishers and all those who have worked out algorithms should be able to answer - but they can't. At best, it's only a guess. Or is it?
Let's start at the other end.
Why do I buy a book?
1. Author I know.
2. Title
3. Content - so blurb is influential
If it's a new author, there's only title and content left.
TITLE
Preferably attractive. Most important that it's not off-putting. It mustn't suggest something I don't want to read.
Girl in the Lion's Den - not ideal.
good - suggests girl in danger who survives
bad - suggests religious content but there isn't any
CONTENT
storyline - small girl put in danger by family conflicts
hmmm.... how many readers would relate to that in present form?
might be better to restate as - mother's need for self fulfilment in conflict with needs of child - or something that has a wider appeal?
Q - How important is the need for readers to relate their own probs and desires to the story?
A - not sure. If it's a thriller, maybe not much. But this isn't a thriller! Still not sure.
setting
Time - preferably (for me) contemporary
Girl in the Lion's Den is set in '60s. - is this a minus?
Place - familiar or not - what matters is authenticity... I think...
England - South Derbyshire (not often used), Leeds
Germany - Hamburg
characters - have to be believable - readers need to relate whether to like or dislike
Esme 18 yrs (mother), Andreas 23 yrs (father), Frances (grandmother), Daniela - birth to 2 yrs
structure
Told in present tense from alternating points of view of main characters (Dani is 1st pers, all the rest are 3rd person)
For me - what matters is that the story is clear and easy to follow.
Any comments? Don't think I've got any closer to answering the question - What's marketable?
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