There are many reasons to avoid independent publishing and more people who will quickly list them if you suggest it. But one of the most valid reasons to self-publish or to create a micro publishing company, is to take advantage of a strong niche market. Books that target niche markets are often overlooked by larger, traditional publishing houses because they don’t appear to have the commercial potential other books might have. This is often not an accurate assumption, but it’s their money and what can you do?
I’ve worked on several such books and each of them has been successful. No, not Random House-sold-50,000-copies-in-the-first-month successful, but certainly successful enough that most authors would gladly do it again. And many go on to have second and third books within a relatively short time frame.
Author Chicoro, is a great example of this success. Her first book, Grow It!, written for women with Afro-textured hair, has been in the top 5 of hair books on Amazon since December 2008 and as of the writing of this article was enjoying the number one spot in the hair category. It’s not luck that got her there, however. As my grandmother would say, she’s “one smart cookie.” She knows her market very well, stays focused, professional and produces a superior product in a genre that was in desperate need of some down-to-earth, been-there-done-that information.
There is nothing wishy-washy about Chicoro. She’s one of those rare individuals who can put her artistic side on hold while her business side gets down to…well, business. When I politely suggested she use her real name, instead of “Chicoro” on the front cover, she insisted we go with Chicoro and she was right. It is now a “brand” for her books and people immediately recognize it. This will surely serve her well as she closes in on the publishing date of her second book.
