First Word

In publishing land the summer heats up since most people want to sell their books, products or services for the holiday season. We just go the Harris Estate up on press and next up "Tails" from the Trail goes on press, too. Smile Power is wrapping up too. I've been encouraging author Ramin Bahram to get Smile Power printed in time for World Smile Day , which is Oct. 7 .   Since we're on the subject of smiling, I wanted to share how much I learned in working on Smile Power about the "power" of a smile. You have absolutely no idea (or maybe you do) how the mere act of smiling can impact so many aspects of your life, from your health to your wealth, and from your relationships to your career. I never thought about the power of a smile. I just smiled, as I'm certain most of you do as well. It was fascinating to find out that while disparate research has been done on smiling there are really no books out there on the subject. So, Ramin...

Many people propose niche books and mistakenly believe it might not sell. Here is what I've discovered about niche books. Unless the niche is super narrow (think of niche like only girls with authentic pink hair will read it), a niche book has long-term viability and typically enjoys a long sales cycle. Why? Because niche books usually have little if any competition. I'll give an example. The book Beyond the Iron by Wayne Kurtz has consistently sold a handful of books each month over the three-year period since its release. The book is about ultra-distance triathlons (we're talking thousands of miles of biking, cycling and swimming). How many people do you know who participate in these events? Except for Wayne I can't say anyone else. Wayne, on the other hand, flies all over the world to participate in these events, and he is constantly promoting his company Race Twitch . He meets plenty of these extreme endurance athletes all of the time. So when people want to know ...