I've been writing and selling eBooks online since 2002. To date, I've written over 50. All of them except three have been in the how-to, non-fiction genre. My titles cover some aspect of freelance/SEO writing, self-publishing, internet marketing and small business marketing.

And since 2010, over half of my annual income has come from these titles. So writing in one (or a few) complementary niches is a proven formula. It works, as almost every self-publishing expert will tell you. Proof?


Of all of the eBooks I've written, so far three have been outside the niche(s) I mentioned above. One was a grisly crime novel; another was a contemporary romance; and the third was a relationship advice eBook I wrote under a pen name.

I co-wrote the crime novel with my sister, who's also a writer. We exchange ideas a lot and one day we thought, "This would be a good book. We can write this." So, we did.

The contemporary romance novel was an effort of pure love (pun fully intended). I've been reading romances like Harlequin since I was a teenager. As I know what I like to read, I thought, "I can write one of these." So off I went, and was very pleased with the effort.

The relationship advice eBook I wrote just from some tips I wanted to dispense to younger women. I started jotting them down one day and before long, I had this list and thought, "Wow, this would make a great eBook."

I published it under a pen name and some months, that little sucker is one of my best sellers on Amazon. Note: learn about some of the drawbacks of writing under a pen name.

eBook Sales from Writing in Different Genres

Outside of the relationship eBook (which was written under a pen name, remember), my sales have sucked from writing across genres. But … I KNOW it can be done successfully and will continue down this path.

The main reason is, I'm an artist at heart (did acting back in NYC years ago) and tend to follow my artistic instincts. The second reason is…

An eBook Writing Success Story

My sister, who was primarily a non-fiction eBook writer like me, has successfully crossed over into another genre (interracial romance). She has even reached the #1 spot on Amazon in this category with one of her eBooks (Loving Logan).

$5,000 in eBook Sales from a "Cross Genre" Writer

I got permission from her to share some numbers with you. She said her pay out from Amazon in January (2014) will be right around $5,000. Just FYI, Amazon lags 60 days behind in payments which means that for all eBooks you sell in November, for example, you get paid in January.

Nowadays interracial romance is practically all my sis writes. With numbers like this, who can blame her! She's successfully "crossed over" into another writing niche as an author. And, she did so in less than a year (she does happen to be one talented writer).

5 Tips to Successfully Selling eBooks Online in Different Niches

1. Target a High-Readership Niche: Interracial romance happens to be a hot niche. People like these types of stories. Proof? According to a 2012 AllRomance.com survey, interracial romance was in the Top 10 bestselling romance genres (#9).

2. Target a Niche You Like: If you don't like it, you won't do numbers 4 and 5 below. And that would make for one crappy novel. Just don't do it.

3. Consider Using a Pen Name: This way, you can write without wondering if your existing online presence is hampering you. Also, it's freeing writing under a pen name. You can get out of your own way and not feel constricted or judged.

4. Research What the Core Niche Wants: What I mean by this is, find out what readers WHO BUY (these are the hard-core fans) in the niche you choose really like to read so you can deliver that.

For example, I'm currently writing a crime novel featuring a female detective who tracks serial killers. I studied criminal justice and John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and have always been fascinated by shows like Criminal Minds and Law & Order.

And, you'd better believe I'm doing my research on what draws readers to a female detective as opposed to a male one – and a whole bunch of other stuff about this niche. Just because I like this niche doesn't mean I'll be a success at it. But I'm gonna do the research to put out the best eBook possible.

5. Research Top-Selling Writers in Your Newly Chosen Niche: Stalk their blogs. Buy their books and read them. Read online interviews they've given. Watch YouTube videos of them dispensing tips. Follow them/interact with them on social media.

The point here is, you don't need to reinvent the wheel when you target a new writing niche as a self-publisher. Put in the elbow grease and do the nitty, gritty research. Then, capitalize on it.

Conclusion

If you love to write, I don't believe you have to be confined to a specific niche/genre. If you realize that you may sell fewer eBooks than if you concentrated on one genre and this is fine with you, I say go for it.

The great thing about writing and self-publishing is, you may have MORE success writing in a couple of genres. I look at it as creating different income streams; ie, self-publishing diversification. And we all know what financial experts say about diversification, no?

Author Bio
Yuwanda Black is the publisher of InkwellEditorial.com, a site devoted to helping others start successful freelance writing careers. She self-published her first eBook in 2002, and has written over 50 to date – most without spending a dime. Learn how to make money self-publishing your own eBooks for $0, including how to market them and start getting sales within the first week!