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Why Niching Down Your Book is Important
Twelve years ago, I found out I had Celiac disease. It's a disease in which your immune system attacks your small intestine whenever you eat even a tiny amount of gluten. Basically, if an Olympic swimming pool were a loaf of bread, you would only have to eat a crumb the size of a small cooler inside that swimming pool, and you'd be sick...for three weeks.
You may be wondering how this relates to writing a book.
When I first found out I had Celiac disease, I looked online for how to travel gluten-free. I found a few blogs on "50 GF Restaurants in NY City," but I couldn't find any information on how to pack, fly, cruise, or, really, any practical, useful application advice.
So I decided to start my own podcast, Travel Gluten Free, because I knew I wasn't the only person in a world of 8 billion people who was celiac and loved to travel.
I was part of an online blog-writing group in 2016. I pitched the idea to the group. The overwhelming response? "Your title is too niche; it's never going to work."
I spoke with a friend who was in the podcasting field at the time---this was when podcasting was just coming out of its infancy. I pitched him my topic, and he said, "It's perfect. People know what it is and who it's for."
I looked online for books, podcasts, or any content that consistently talked about traveling gluten-free. While there were a few gluten-free platforms and influencers and about four gluten-free podcasts, no one had a platform dedicated to gluten-free travel.
So I ran with Travel Gluten Free and launched my podcast in 2018. In one year, I had people asking me to write a book. I published The Guide to Traveling Gluten Free in March of 2020, and despite the pandemic, it made the Amazon Best Seller List.
And almost ten years later, there are now 25 more podcasts that talk about gluten-free recipes, how to live gluten-free, how to be gluten-free, but only one that talks about traveling gluten-free - and that's my podcast.
And my book? It's still the ONLY comprehensive travel book that teaches you how to travel while being gluten-free. Even after six years on the market, the gluten-free scene is exploding. No one else has written and published a book like this. And now I'm working on my second edition.
So when someone tells you to broaden your book topic, remember this story. Be the author or podcast producer that holds the #1 expert in your space for years and possibly decades, because you chose to talk to a specific person who has a pain point you can solve.
So tell me in the comments below, how are you niching down your book?
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Why Niching Down Your Book is Important
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