As we send out query letters, one of the things we read about is the market is competitive and that they are looking for new and fresh ideas. I understand an agent wanted to find the next great author who has a story or writing unlike anyone has ever seen before. Especially if the writing is good. People are going to talk about it, and it’s going to sell.

The part I have trouble with is the whole competitive market aspect. (e.g.When an agent tells us our story idea isn’t fresh enough to compete in this competitive market.) I understand the market is competitive, but I don’t understand why.

Books are not…cable/dish companies. In my house we subscribe to Directv. I don’t have Directv and Comcast. But you know what I do have? About 1,000 books…as in more than one. Readers don’t have to own only one book. Readers do not buy just one book. So why is the market so competitive?

I know agents have to go to publishers and “sell” our book to them before it ever makes it out in the world for readers to purchase. I understand that publishers don’t want to keep publishing the same “story” over and over again. I understand this up to a point.

What I mean by this is, I love J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series, Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters series, and Carolyn Jewel’s My Immortal series. Love them. If I could marry my books I would. I can’t get enough of them nor read them fast enough. Now, if someone told me there was a similar series out there to any of these, I would be on barnesandnoble.com faster than they could say, “You should check them out.” And, I almost guarantee you that I would be purchasing them.

Similar to this, some of my favorite authors, besides the above, are Linda Howard, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Rachel Gibson, Julie Garwood, Karen Robards, Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter, and Jennifer Lyons…to name a few. If someone told me that so-and-so writes like them and has similar stories I would be buying their books right away. (I actually discovered Karen Robards because I was looking for authors similar to Linda Howard.)

So why is the market so competitive? Why do agents and publishers always have to be looking for the next great thing? Yes, yes, I know it’s a business and they want to make money. But there aren’t that many J.K. Rowlings or Stephanie Meyers out there so why not invest in books that will still sell, even if they don’t sell billions of copies?

We don’t want to be the next big thing or next big author. We don’t expect that to happen with the books we write. But what is wrong with being the next J.R. Ward? If you stopped most people on the street, they wouldn’t know her name. But if you are a paranormal romance reader, you are going to know who she is.

I know it’s a big dream to be as popular as J.R. Ward, but all I’m asking is for someone to give us a chance.