Approaching specific interest markets: the value and significance of the niche in publishing

All definitions of marketing agree on the importance of the customer, and in order to approach them in an appropriate manner – to be able to identify the products, services, offers and marketing messages that are most likely to appeal to them – it’s vital to understand who they are. This chapter therefore offers a more detailed exploration of several markets that are particularly important to publishers. For those working in some areas of publishing, without a specific background

or understanding of the market, this may initially feel difficult. We will therefore

begin with a few general principles before moving on to examine some particular markets in more detail.