Self-Publishing Non-fiction

I'm thinking - huge market, so why would an agent not pick it up? Have to admit, I'd be embarassed to buy this book at a bookshop and would be more inclined to buy it online. Infact, maybe even an e-book version so I'm not seen reading it.

Asia would be a good market - massive population in India and China alone, people are conservative but have the same problems and are looking for solutions, and though percentages are small, huge numbers are wired.

So yes, there's money to be made, in theory. You need to make it real.

If it's such a hot idea, work up a really good query letter and send it around to the publishers first. Emphasize your credentials.

This is on such a dicey subject that you want a conventional publisher, if you can get one. That would instantly give the project a lot more credibility, make it clear that you aren't just publishing softcore, et cetera.

Don't publish for the Asian market. They already have loads of books like that, each geared to its own particular readership.

Specialized non-fiction is one of the places where self-publishing shines.

Trouble with "spicing up your love life" is that the world is awash in that already. You can't pick up an issue of Cosmopolitan without running into at least one article on how to do it. How do you make yours stand out?

Fruitbat said:

What about nonfiction?

Say you have a self-help book about spicing up sex in marriage. A common problem, a huge potential market.

What about self-publishing it? Do you think it could make any money?

P.S. I'm thinking that sounds way too easy. ;o)

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You mean like the Joy of Sex or any of the many, many, many other books on the subject? The market is huge, but it's also pretty heavily saturated.

Unless you can come up with a unique angle that nobody else has covered, it will be difficult to make it stand out.

It is not a "dicey subject", it's considered rather tame these days, even the kinky stuff. Dr. Ruth took care of making the subject of improving your sex life socially acceptable.

Focus

I'd say exhaust all your options, including indie publishers, before you take the self-pub route. From much of what I've read on AW, self-pub is far more acceptable these days than it was even as recently as a year ago.