Quote: gabriella, Saturday, 23 Jan 2010 13:49"If I were a publisher, why should I buy your book and sell it?"
I don't have any experience in this, but I imagine a publisher would really want to know about the content of your book so they can think about target audience and how to sell it. It's a good idea to know about your market and why your book appeals, but ultimately the publisher will probably want to know why a reader will pick up your book and what will make them want to keep reading.
I'm reminded of this quote from Blackadder about his own novel:
"'Edmund, a Butler's Tale' - a giant rollercoaster of a novel in four hundred sizzling chapters. A searing indictment of domestic servitude in the 18th century with some hot gypsies thrown in."
Writing for yourself is writing for others: "My book could very well end up being reconstituted as a trestle table in a home for battered women." - Alan Partridge