Together author-publishers can create some new opportunities. These will take time, some will fail but the dream must be that the vacuum that has been created by the inabilities of conventional publishers will help author-publishers to reach their markets. There are dilemmas. We have a multiplicity of markets but several factors provide encouragement to continue searching for solutions. However different our products may be they rarely compete with each other.
Books are unusual commodities in that respect, unlike soap powders or chocolate bars.
A book stands alone, often unchallenged in its approach, even though the subject matter covered may be the same. This lack of competition means that they can be grouped together in many marketing campaigns. Most books produced by our members are written for a particular, identifiable market. Local or family histories are good examples, the buyers of such books can often be clearly defined. Most technical writers could argue that they know their own market better than their trade publisher.