I’m glad I didn’t see this infographic on successful books before I started writing. It’s nice to see the stats of what sells when it comes to books but I don’t think a book should be written because it will sell. A book should be written because it needs to be written. The story needs to be told. If it’s a good story the audience will find it even if they didn’t know they wanted to read about it.
I used to own a bookstore during the rise of the big box bookstores. Ironically the same big box stores that are struggling to stay relevant in the age of Kindle, iPad and Nook. Back then, when the big box stores were putting shops like me out of business they ruled the shelves. As a small store owner I couldn’t take a chance on an independent or new author. I had to stock Grisham and Patterson and all the guys who had no trouble selling a book. With digital publishing widely available and easy to use more and more indie authors have a chance to be read.
This reminds me of an episode of This American Life where they discussed using polling data to create paintings and music. They found that people liked landscapes and historical figures. The artists created this -> http://blog.buildllc.com/2009/12/polling-and-design/