The whole reality TV thing has more or less skipped me by. I’ve tried to get into it, but something about it just doesn’t push my buttons. My family has never been that into TV at all, which is why I was extremely shocked when my 70-something mother, on her recent visit to my house, turned on the TV at 9pm to watch Canadian Idol.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Well, Matt Rapley has that wonderful round sound, and plenty of style. But it’s that kid Jaydee that I just can’t get over – the way he involves the crowd, and captures them with his incredible charisma. He’s been performing with his family since he was 4, you know.” I found myself sitting down to watch, even though I should have been doing the supper dishes. I wanted to know what she found so involving about this. I suppose she sees a bit of her own children in the competitors, all striving for their own successes. And so, unlike her normal tendencies, she is completely emotionally involved in this program. She doesn’t answer her phone on Wednesday nights anymore.

The phenomenon of dysfunctional parents doing embarrassing things is not what is new, but this does highlight a concept that is of particular importance to authors looking to sell their self-published material: consumers acting outside of their assigned tidy little roles, and buying things that their demographics say they shouldn’t be buying.

So much is being written about this concept lately, that it’s tough to ignore the possibility of more sales through a simple tweak of your message or placement. The essential message is that a consumer and their needs are defined not by their age, race, or gender, but more by what they already buy, do, or affiliate themselves with.

It’s not that aggregates are not still being considered. That is, we are still using words like “typical skateboard competitor”, or “average black-diamond skier”. It’s just that we are no longer assuming that either of these categories are single guys in their early 20′s. More likely, we are considering that individuals who are into skateboarding and skiing are probably also into high-performance sportswear for everyday use. That they also want to drive a hybrid car over the speed limit, and must need a sufficiently powerful caffeine supplement.

My little motto, Think Beyond the Book, means that this is about thinking of your product as not so much a book, but the powerful spearhead of your entire self-publishing venture. Consumers who are interested in your subject matter will also be interested in non-competing compatible material. As I’ve observed in previous posts, this is about knowing your entire market, not just your tiny corner of it.

Where are the parallels? Where are the opportunities to co-market your book with another product or service? Where are the market holes that you can spin yourself into, where another parallel is also aiming? None of these questions can be answered generically. (Sorry – it’s not that simple.) But it is very stimulating to spend time talking to the readers of our work, through focus groups, reader reports, and reviews. You may be surprised what you hear.