What Types of Books Are Best-Suited for Self-Publishing?
Tightly targeted nonfiction books are still the best bet for self-publishing. The most successful writers are those who (a) are experts in their field and (b) are familiar with the target audience for their books. It can be more difficult to persuade a commercial publisher to accept a book that has a relatively small target audience — which makes this type of publishing the ideal venue for this type of book. Books for which the author has a “built-in” market or audience (which often fall into the previous category) are also likely to do well. If, for example, you regularly speak or teach on a particular topic, you may be able to take advantage of that audience by self-publishing a book that you can market at your talks or seminars. You might even be able to publish a book that you can use as a “required text” in your classes. If you belong to a particular professional organization, this can also provide you with a built-in “market”. To be successful, you must have the willingness to ma
