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I got started in homeschool publishing because I felt that I had something unique to contribute and saw a real need in the homeschool and educational market for my concept. When I came up the idea for Literary Lessons from The Lord of the Rings,it seemed like the perfect fit for me. So after prayerful consideration, I started HomeScholar Books to produce this and future literature products while selling other literature products to supplement my current inventory.
In the past 18 months, I have sold more than $110,000 of this curriculum through my website and through vendors who sell my product. This rather amazes me. I love the fact that people are buying my product and I love it even more when I get notes from them telling me how much they enjoy the product! The costs have been very high, though. I still have a lot to learn. But I have gleaned a few things from this journey already. I think it is important that we all share our experience with one another so that we can all benefit from one another's knowledge.
They say one of the main things about starting a new business is to research your area and to plan ahead as much as possible - to learn all you can before you enter into the business or before marketing a new product. However, especially in a niche market, like the homeschool community, it is impossible to get all the answers you need. A lot of what is now being done has never been done exactly like this before. The homeschool market is constantly evolving, the technology to run a business is constantly changing, and there are not enough forerunners in the homeschool business community to make a truly informed decision about the likelihood of success. You can expect to make mistakes (I have made more than enough to fill ANOTHER article!), so plan to learn from them and move on. You will get better with experience.
However, there are some strategies that I would suggest before going into a home-based business for the homeschool community or for marketing a new product in an existing business.
1. Decide whether there is a market for your idea or product.
One of the best things I did was to set up a simple one-page website as I was working on Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings. I was inspired to do the project anyway - it was a labor of love and that in itself compelled me. But it was a lot of work - more than 20 months of concentrated effort - and I knew that the initial investment of funds would mean that I would have to borrow a lot of money (producing curriculum for a niche market costs far more than one can imagine - especially when it is over 700 pages long!). So I wanted to judge the interest in the project. Basically, I set up the website with a mockup of my book title - Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings - and briefly explained that it was a work in progress and that I wanted input. I had a place that people could email if they were interested in knowing when the work would be completed, and I asked for suggestions and for addresses for people interested. As the work progressed, I updated the website with the expected publication date and more information about pricing and so forth. I got on some message boards and directed people to the site and asked them to tell me what they thought of the idea. By the time I got ready to publish, I had a mailing list of over 250 people who were likely to buy the curriculum. Moreover, some of these people continued to send me notes of encouragement expressing eagerness for the work to be done. Some even offered to help edit so it could be finished sooner! That type of encouragement was vital as my energy was depleting and there were days that I felt the project would never get done. It also gave me the incentive to enter the business arena.
2. Take some seminars in business.
Most of us can't afford time for full-fledged courses - I could not either. But many Small Business Associations are funded by the government to offer free or low cost business seminars - usually in one night. Many community colleges host these, so check there or with your local Chamber of Commerce. I was able to take small classes in marketing, Internet sales, basic bookkeeping, and business startup - all for less than $25. Not only did I learn a great deal, but I found out about valuable resources to help me get started. I still plan to take more classes now. There is always more to learn!
3. Examine your own abilities to provide the products.
The homeschool market is competitive these days. You need to examine your own strengths and make sure that you can deliver the product you advertise. Whatever you do needs to be something you love. I basically write about literature: writing and literature are two of my greatest loves and areas in which I have considerable training and experience. If I did not love what I do, my work would be a whole lot harder!
4. Count the cost and decide whether the timing is right.
I will have to admit that the cost of running my own business has been more than expected - both financially and time-wise. If I did not have teenagers at home to help with the younger kids, I could not have done this. Even now, after my first curriculum is out, I have to wait on the next major book because my two younger ones now are in the early years of education and need more time for their homeschooling. (Though I also still homeschool a teen, I find that they are much more self-directed once they read well and can do more on their own). So I have to take that into consideration as I plan future projects, because I know how obsessed I get in the midst of producing them. However, I am working on some smaller projects to produce in the meantime. Owning my own business allows me that flexibility to work around the needs of my family, but it is far more work than I ever would have imagined in the beginning. Still, I have learned more than I even would have imagined. And I hope to learn even more - through both success and failure.
Amelia Harper is the owner of HomeScholar Books and the author of Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings, a complete one-year literature curriculum for secondary level students. She is also a freelance writer who contributes regularly to newspapers, academic works, and magazines and serves as the Contributing Media Editor for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. She is also a pastor's wife and the homeschooling mother of five. Visit her website at www.HomeScholarBooks.com.
Originally appeared in January 2006 PRMama: Marketing to Go! e-Newsletter. | 
: Tips for Marketing a New Product