How to write and market a niche book that sells
This is a guest post by Jessica Velasco
How to write and market a niche book that sells
Read through this definitive guide and start succeeding within the niche of your choice today.
Finding a niche
The first thing you must do before any money is made is figure out which niche you want to enter. There are literally millions to choose from. Decide upon one that you have some interest in. The reason for this is because if you follow these directions correctly, you will be involved with that niche for many years to come.
Identifying and understanding your target audience
Once you have established a niche, it is time to identify your target audience. Who are these people? How old are they? What do they like about your chosen niche? What is their income level? Can they even afford to buy a book if you sell one? Is there a specific vocabulary to this niche? By learning this demographic information, you are starting to figure out if this niche is worth your time.
This stage is all about testing out your niche and seeing if you should move further. Since you haven’t devoted too much time to this process yet, you can easily start over with a different topic. There is no shame in choosing the wrong niche and having to begin again at this point. It is much better to start over now then after you have already written a book and you realize that there is no demand for it.
Becoming an authority
Now that you understand who the people are within your target audience, it is time to establish yourself as an authority. You need to be looked upon for answers within your chosen topic.
The best way to do this is to figure out what the biggest problems are of the people within your niche. Then, go about finding ways to solve their problems. By writing a book that answers the questions that need solved, you will automatically become the go-to person in your industry.
Once you have figured out how to meet your readers’ needs, take some time to learn about the writing process. Become a self-taught authority on how to write quality books.
Marketing within your chosen niche
After you have completed the book, it is time to start the marketing process. You can write the best book in the world, but if you don’t tell anyone about it, then it is all for nothing.
Niche marketing is different than your run-of-the-mill marketing techniques for regular books. Instead of marketing to millions of people, you are marketing to thousands. These people are your target customers. They are people you identified in the early stages of choosing a niche.
To market to these people, you need to hang out at the places they hang out. This means attending the same conferences they attend. You’ll need to go to the same seminars they go to. You might want to advertise in the magazines they read. It even means guest posting on the blogs they read.
You need to be everywhere your customers are. Make your presence known, and create some buzz around your book. Some of these marketing tactics might sound expensive, but it can be very necessary when spreading the word.
Signing books
Book signings are a very well-known way of promoting a book of any kind. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, books about washing machines or books about knitting, a book signing is essential. But just like niche marketing, you want to make your book signings specific to your industry.
You can always sign books at the library or in a bookstore, but why not target your niche and get specific? Go to the stores where your readers would be. Get creative.
Did you write a book about auto maintenance? Do a book signing at a parts store. Did you write a book about family bonding? Ask the local PTA if you can sign books and meet with parents at their next event.
Book signings don’t have to be generic. Spice it up a little bit. Give people more of an incentive to come out. Offer something extra if they attend (free race car sugar cookies, perhaps). Read a passage from your book, but be unique and make things interesting. Try a dramatic reading, for example. By doing this, you are separating yourself from any competition you may have and are spreading the word much more rapidly.
Growing your career
After you have written your first niche book, it is time to grow upon what you have accomplished. By this point, you have already been in your selected niche for quite some time. You are fully established, and hopefully, you have marketed your book successfully. Now you have come to a fork in the road. Do you repeat this process with a new niche or build upon the house you have already created?
By growing within your designated your niche, you will actually have to put forth much less effort. Becoming an established author is much more challenging than staying established. While you were out marketing your original book, you must have conversed with countless readers in your industry. What problems did they have? Is there something new you can do to help them? As an authority, it is your job to discover those answers and build upon your current success.
However, if you failed to select a successful or enjoyable niche the first time around, you might want to switch things up a little.
If you follow the steps listed above then you are well on your way to becoming the dominant figure within a new niche. The beauty behind this process is the ability to scale it. Follow these instructions once and you can do it as many times as you like. Hop from niche to niche, growing and learning. Or stick with one niche for years and become a household name. It is entirely up to you!
About this post’s author:
Jessica Velasco works for Custom Corntoss, designing decals for cornhole boards; she absolutely loves what she does. In fact, she is in the process of writing her first eBook on the subject of cornhole. The whole writing and marketing process has been a great learning experience. Jessica is already contemplating her next book! There are so many options available within the seemingly narrow niche: best custom cornhole board designs, how to build a cornhole board, outdoor family bonding ideas, the value of creativity—the sky’s the limit!