I’ve written about the Long Tail before, but I wanted to give a more concrete example.
I’m a boardgame fan. And when I say fan I mean fanatic. I think nothing of paying $50 for a boardgame, and I’ve spent over $100 for a game before (and didn’t regret it). I’m passionate about the topic, and can’t seem to get enough playing time in.
With the purchase of a new house, I’ve also got a longer commute. I’m in the car for 60 minutes every day. Ten years ago I would have listened to KSL, a local radio station that covers the day’s news, and also talks about local topics. But not any more.
You see, KSL has to attract as many listeners as possible. The more people listen to their show, they more they can charge for advertisements. So their programs have mass appeal. Guess what? Mass appeal doesn’t include boardgames. I don’t think I’ve ever heard any mention of my favorite pastime on the radio.
But I have podcasts. Podcasts are like radio stations, but they’re recorded and sent out via RSS. There are podcasts on thousands of topics. Anything from writing, to boardgames, to taxidermy, to zombies. These niche podcasts are run by people who are passionate about the topic as well. They don’t have the hundred-thousand dollar studio and equipment, but I don’t mind. They’re talking about my kind of thing. As long as the poor equipment doesn’t get in the way of the topic, I’m fine with it.
Compare this to books. There are niche markets out there that have been historically undeserved. Have you ever heard your book is great, but not marketable? What that means is that the publisher can’t sell enough copies to make a return on their investment. But if it really is good, you’ll likely find ardent fans waiting for you out on the long tail.
Before digital books those fans were out there, but you had no way to market and distribute your book. Amazon, apple, and others have taken care of that for you. If you book doesn’t have wide appeal it may not make you a million dollars, but there is a good chance it will bring you something. Why not throw it out there and see what happens?
