Nonfiction author Kim Cross breaks down how to sell a book proposal

How did you approach doing that market research?
When I first pitched this book, the deal fell through because there weren’t multiple offers and the original publisher who made an offer got cold feet. The market was in a really different place — it was before the true crime explosion we’re seeing today. This was a story of a child kidnapping and murder, a story that doesn’t end well. The rejections I got at that time were, ‘Why would anyone read a book that ends badly and you already know it’s going to end?’ But with the advent of podcasts like “Serial,” Michelle MacNamara’s book, “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,” and the related documentary and podcast, the true crime market changed. Suddenly, stories that were a little too sensitive or taboo became more acceptable. I looked at what books were out there and who was reading them, and I spoke to that.