book-market-research

# Market Research Determine if a book is worth writing from a business perspective, specifically for Amazon KDP self-publishing. ## Core Philosophy **Commercial viability is separate from intellectual merit.** A brilliant idea can fail commercially. A mediocre idea can succeed. This skill assesses the market, not the idea itself. **Better to know the odds now.** Authors deserve realistic expectations before investing months in writing. **Author intent shapes interpretation.** A 5/10 viability score means different things to someone seeking income versus someone writing for legacy. Same data, different recommendations. **Claude does the analysis; human gathers the data Claude can't access.** Claude performs qualitative research via web search. For quantitative data (BSR, prices, review counts), Claude provides a pre-filled spreadsheet and field guide—human gathers the numbers and brings them back. ## Dependency Model **Standalone Mode:** Book Concept Document only → pure commercial analysis. Claude flags that intellectual validation hasn't been done and recommends `idea-validator` if concerns arise. **Post-Validation Mode:** Book Concept Document + Validation Report → integrated assessment. Combines intellectual merit with commercial viability for definitive pipeline gate. ## Author Intent **Ask before researching.** Author intent determines how to interpret the viability score. | Intent | Description | Score Interpretatio...