Niche Publishing: Publish Profitably Every Time

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Review by By Patricia Fry

Gordon Burgett is not new to the publishing scene. He is the author of 34 books, many of them related to writing, publishing and public speaking. You may be familiar with his book “Publishing to Niche Markets,” published thirteen years ago. Burgett believed in the concept then and he still believes in the concept of writing for niche markets.

Throughout this book, Burgett uses what he calls the “TCE process.” He says that these initials represent the three key elements to niche publishing: targeting, customizing and expanding. He recommends self-publishing for most authors of niche books and he means the old-fashioned way of self-publishing—you establish your own publishing company.

He says in chapter one, “Publishing to niches is far less risky, less expensive, faster and likely far more profitable than publishing to just anybody (which is everybody).” He maintains, “The smaller and more cohesive the niche, the better.” And his book is designed to help you define the target market for your book, making sure your book fits/fulfills the needs of that market, and market to your audience. He walks you through the writing, producing and selling of your niche book and even coaches you in converting your book into more books—creating add-ons

I particularly found the section on test marketing your book interesting. He shows you how to run test markets and then he has created some useful graphs and charts to help you evaluate your book throughout the process. We should all take the steps necessary to intelligently determine whether our books are worth publishing. And Burgett’s methods are unique and, seemingly, useful.

I was delighted to find case studies in this book. Don’t we all enjoy reading about the successes and/or failures of other authors? It helps us to more realistically approach our own projects.

Burgett agrees with most publishing professionals when he says that publishing is always a gamble. But what he offers in Niche Publishing is designed to stack the deck in your favor. He says it boils down to this: “Think small and earn big!” He suggests that authors find a demand, double-check it and create the supply. And that’s exactly what he teaches throughout this book.

I’m happy with this author because he has included an index. You know how fussy I am about reference books having an index.

If you’re considering publishing or you have a book that isn’t doing well in the market place, take a look at this book. It might help you to find your niche.

- Review by Patricia Fry, President of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists, Writers Network). Her Web site is http://www.matilijapress.com/.