I am writing to teach leaders in specialized areas how to make write, publish and sell books to niche markets. This blog will reflect on and use passages from my upcoming book. We hope to be helpful and also to bring awareness to our upcoming book. A niche market is simply marketing in an area of specialization. These markets may consist of only a few thousand people and have needs that aren’t being directly met by traditional publishers. That’s where you come in.
This is different from other marketing books. Marketing in a niche is trickier than marketing to more generalized audiences. While reading, you should be able to apply lessons from successful marketing techniques that I have used. I’ve been able to apply these techniques without added business costs (I’ll address the topic of the money I’ve wasted through traditional advertising methods). Many of these lessons came by way of what I learned while earning my MBA as well as what I’ve experienced while developing my business.
Whether or not you are engaged in a business, I hope to encourage to start a writing business with a little upfront money. Most resource are probably already available to you (computer, internet provider and desktop publishing software). Other expenses include less than five hundred dollars of up front publishing costs that I’ll explain later. If you already have the basics, then you can begin immediately and develop a great business without going into debt. You can begin the business in the black, no debt and earnings within 30 days. The earnings that you make can be put back into the business and spent according to developing needs.
This book will be divided into nine chapters demonstrating where to begin, suggestions on how to write and publish your book, how to bring awareness to your business, providing great customer service and how to grow the enterprise. This is a book that will help your business age gracefully and give you a return on your investment consistently. I know, because I have done it and I want to show you how.
A Little Background
Chances are that you are already gainfully employed and are involved with other life matters. You are probably considering following both your dream of writing and having your own business. You’ve probably explored both, but hesitate because it really doesn’t make sense to take on another job while spending 40 hours a week of your life being miserable. Do something you love in your professional and personal lives. The same goes for the business you want to start. Passion is hard to define, so I’ll draw up a scene from my most recent experience:
“I have a great idea that will help other people earn the certification!” I had exclaimed to my wife, almost immediately after telling the other great news.
“Wait a minute, let’s get back to the certification,” my wife had replied, trying to redirect the conversation. “You passed the exam?”
Her smile had demonstrated how happy she had been for me. She recognized that the long hours of study had finally paid off.
“Thanks. Sorry about changing the subject,” I replied. “I know that you were pulling for me.”
I hugged my wife one more time before continuing.
“It’s just that I passed it so easily. It’s not that I’m so smart, but I was able to find the answers so quickly. I think I can help other people do it. I can make a difference in someone’s life.”
Can you see the passion there? I was onto something. I had written books, started a few small businesses and was struggling with some new ideas, but nothing had clicked. I knew the reason was lack of passion and lack of really knowing what I had wanted to do. I had been warned with the message repeatedly. But now, I was finally on to something.
First, let’s talk about the message of passion and how I had learned it. Not too long ago, I had left after a lengthy career in the army. While in service, I had served in intelligence, transportation and wrapped up my career in recruiting. By far the most difficult but rewarding had been my service as a recruiter. Tell a soldier to take a hill in the heat of battle and they’ll do it and exceed whatever standards you give. However, tell them to successfully encourage people to volunteer to leave everything they know to become a soldier...that’s a tougher task. Army recruiting is where I learned about marketing.
Prior to my departure from the army I had bought and read all of the books I could on marketing, sales, interviewing and resume writing. Almost everything I had read revealed the same message: Find something you are good at and do it. Particular books included : What Color is Your Parachute; Brag, the Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It; Confronting Reality; Knock ‘Em Dead and 48 Hours to the Work you Love, to name a few.
Once I left the army I spent a few months pondering my future and reading more books. I enrolled in a class on how to start my own businesses. Aside from learning how to develop business plans, we heard presentations from successful business owners. Again, the message was clear: Find something you enjoy and do it. However, this time the message hit home. I met many local business owners had found themselves working really long hours doing something they enjoyed.
One business owner stands out from the others; he believes in giving back. As the man stood in front of the class he explained that business ownership takes a lot of smart work. The owner has to invest time and self and must especially get buy-in from the family. They must be able to give and help others succeed. Then, he gave everyone in the class a $50.00 bill and the names of two books that he recommended us to buy. Though I won’t be handing out $50.00 anytime soon, I’ll give you the names of the books: The E-myth Revisited and Now, Discover Your Strengths. Both books are powerful and definitely fundamental in learning about how to work on a business (not in the business) and how to know what your strengths are and focus on improving them (not your weaknesses).
In my journey to finding the right business I took a job in security. It was fun and I could use my strengths and the transferable skills I had learned in the army to begin a new niche career. As I learned about my job I also developed a new goal; to be considered an expert within five years.
I enjoyed the career and begin applying my skills to being a better employee and checking off steps in my goal to be an expert. I enrolled in an MBA program, taught career classes, joined a professional security organization and began studying for their certification.
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