Before ordering copies to sell, put a representative sample in front of people who might actually use or enjoy the book. Find out what they understand, what they would do with it, and what stops them taking the next step. Use those answers to revise the book and decide how much stock you can responsibly hold.
This guide is for a first-time creator without a large audience: a photographer, family-history writer, illustrator or specialist sharing a small edition. You will finish with a reader definition, a tested sample and a record of evidence for your print decision. You do not need a following to begin. You do need to hear answers you may not like.
Decide whether you need buyers at all
A family memoir made for six relatives has a known audience. Ask those recipients about readability, names, privacy and the number of copies they want. There is no reason to build a marketing campaign around a private gift.
A book intended for strangers needs a different test. Someone may admire the photographs and still have no reason to buy the collection. A visitor may want a souvenir; a photography student may want explanations of how the pictures were made. Those are different products, even if both use your archive.
Write this sentence before seeking feedback: “This book helps or entertains [specific reader] when [situation], through [what is actually inside].” For an illustrative project, try: “A compact collection of drawings and short histories for residents who want to remember the independent shops on their street.” That is more testable than “a beautiful book for everyone who loves art.”
Build a sample that can expose a problem
Prepare a cover draft, a contents page and one complete representative section. For a picture-led book, include a sequence of spreads rather than isolated best images. For a practical guide, include an entire task from preparation to finished result. For fiction, choose an opening that lets a reader experience the voice and conflict.
Label it as a sample. Include the proposed format and whether the full manuscript is complete. Avoid making a digital mockup look like a finished physical edition. If you have a printed proof, show it; if you do not, explain which physical choices remain undecided.
A sample should answer “Would I want more of this?” It should also reveal issues: type too small, missing captions, confusing sequence, or a promise the pages do not deliver. A cover-only poll cannot test any of these.
Find a small group with a relevant reason to care
Start where the subject already matters. A local-history book might fit a neighborhood archive event. A sketch collection might fit a drawing group. A book for new puppy owners belongs in conversations about caring for a first dog, not simply in a group of other authors selling books.
Look for current discussion of the problem or interest. Read the community rules and observe how people participate. If research requests need permission, ask the organizer. A public group is not an invitation to message its members individually.
Five thoughtful conversations can uncover obvious problems, but they do not validate a market size. Seek different relationships to the subject: someone deeply involved, someone newly interested, and someone who has bought a comparable book. Do not rely entirely on friends who want to encourage you.
“I am developing a short illustrated book about the shops on this street. May I ask for feedback on a sample in the group? I would like residents to tell me whether the locations and captions make sense. There is no purchase request, and I will follow your preferred format.”
If the organizer declines, stop there. An alternative is a feedback invitation on your own account or a conversation at an event where that discussion is welcome.
Run a conversation without selling the answer
Set aside about fifteen minutes per reader as a planning convenience, not a research rule. Explain that criticism will help you avoid printing the wrong book. Let the person look through the sample before explaining it.
- Ask about recent behavior. “When did you last buy or keep a book about this subject? What made you choose it?” A real example is more useful than a prediction about future buying.
- Ask for an unaided description. “What do you think this book is for?” Write down their words before correcting a misunderstanding.
- Give a task. For a guide, ask them to find and use a specific instruction. For a visual collection, ask which sequence they would return to and why.
- Look for missing information. “What would you need to know before deciding whether to buy or give this?” Avoid “Do you like it?”
- Present a real next step. Offer a notification when the revised sample is ready. If selling is already feasible, show the actual price and delivery terms. Do not collect payment for an offer you cannot yet fulfil.
Watch what happens when you stop talking. If every reader needs your explanation to understand a spread, the explanation probably belongs on the page. If they immediately ask about a location you omitted, record the omission rather than defending the edit.
Keep observations separate from your interpretation
Use a simple document with one row per conversation. Record only the information needed for the project. Keep contact details separately, with permission for the follow-up you promised.
| Reader context | Observed response | Possible explanation | Next test |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resident who buys local gifts | Asked which shops still exist | The timeline is unclear | Add dated captions, then ask a new reader |
| Visitor interested in architecture | Could not identify the street | The sample assumes local knowledge | Test a location introduction |
| Art enthusiast | Liked the cover but declined an update | Visual appreciation without a current buying reason | Do not count as demand |
These are invented examples illustrating the method, not customer results. Notice that each observation has more than one possible explanation. A declined purchase might reflect price, timing, relevance or an unclear offer. Ask a neutral follow-up instead of choosing the explanation you prefer.
Turn feedback into an editorial decision
Group repeated problems by what you can change: content, explanation, format or purchase route. Then choose one revision that addresses the strongest evidence. If three people cannot identify a location, fix the captions before testing a different cover color.
Return the revised sample to one earlier participant and show it to someone new. The earlier reader can tell you whether the correction addresses the issue; the new reader can reveal whether it works without your history together.
Suppose eight illustrative conversations produce five compliments, three requests for an update and one request for a delivered price. You have useful feedback and some interest. You do not have eight orders. Keep these statuses separate:
- Feedback participant: inspected the sample.
- Interested reader: explicitly requested a relevant update.
- Qualified buying enquiry: asked about the actual edition, price or purchase.
- Order: completed the agreed ordering process.
Choose the next printing step from evidence and risk
If readers misunderstand the sample, revise before printing stock. If they understand it but do not want it, reconsider the intended audience or the purpose. If they want it but the delivered price is too high, revisit the format and economics. Printing more to lower the unit cost does not solve uncertain demand.
When the manuscript is ready, a physical copy lets you check reading comfort and presentation before making a larger commitment. Keep the number of unpaid copies within an amount you can afford to hold or give away. Use the small-run pricing worksheet to calculate that exposure.
Write a decision note: “We will proceed with [next step] because [observed evidence]. We still do not know [uncertainty]. Before committing more money, we will test [specific question].” A cautious decision with a clear next test is more useful than declaring the book validated.
Keep the first promise you made
Send the revised sample or publication update only to people who asked for it. Explain the change their feedback helped make, include the actual status of the book, and give a clear way to stop receiving updates. Do not turn a private critique into a public testimonial without permission.
For the next stage, follow the launch readiness plan. If you are ready to inspect your book in print, submit your completed material for a free file check.
Further reading: Blurb discusses audience fit in finding and connecting with readers and book marketing foundations. The interview procedure, evidence table and decision examples above are original instructional material.