Autism / Asperger's Syndrome / PDD Publications and conferences from Future Horizons

It has become almost axiomatic: For a small business to succeed, it should find a niche and hold on tight.

But R. Wayne Gilpin, owner of Future Horizons, has turned that principle on its head. Gilpin's publishing company had specialized in automotive and law books, a high margin field in which Gilpin found it possible to achieve large financial returns.

"I'll be frank," he says. "The margins in automotive books are almost criminal. To print a book for $5 and to sell it for $79 is not out of the question."

But in the early 1990's, Gilpin began to toy with a new project, a book about life with his son Alex, who is autistic. Eventually he decided to broaden the project to include stories from others who were challenged with autism. The result was the 1993 publication of "Laughing and Loving with Autism".

"I thought we would sell 500 copies, it would take a year, and we would lose money," Gilpin recalls. "We sold 500 copies in 4 days. I realized we had something people wanted."

Soon, other authors came to Gilpin seeking publication of their books on autism. Today, Gilpin says, Future Horizons is the largest publisher of books on autism in the world.

"Our margins are nowhere near what they were with automotive books," he says. "But the company is growing dramatically, and more and more people are hearing about us."

Gilpin says revenues are growing at an 80 percent to 100 percent annual rate, "and we are poised to do that again in '99." He pauses, and then adds, "The autism publishing world is a fairly small puddle, but we are a large rock in that puddle."

David Edmons, director of the Tarrant County Junior College Small Business Development Center, says Gilpin's experience is unusual.

"Most people are happy to find a niche in which they're profitable," he says. "Usually they'll try to expand in that area. But in his case, it sounds like his passion for what he's doing helps carry the business."

Gilpin concurs.

"I am truly blessed in that my vocation and passion are in exactly the same area," he says.

"Before, I would go to an automotive conference and I just could not get excited about a Bosch fuel injection system. But now when someone comes up to me and says a book we've published has touched them in a special way, that's far greater payment to me than the paycheck I get every two weeks."

Autism is a developmental disorder that prevents people from understanding the world and interacting with others in what is considered the "normal" way. Those with autism tend to interpret words literally.

Gilpin offers a story involving his son, who at one time had the habit of removing his clothes as soon as he got in the house. One day Gilpin came in and tripped over one of his son's shoes. He said he "lost it" because he had been haranguing his son to not leave clothes strewn around the house.

Gilpin followed a trail of clothes and found his son nude, listening to rock 'n' roll music in his room. He yelled "I'm not going to tell you again about picking up your clothes!" His son looked at him, nodded, and said, "Good."

Gilpin says such stories not only help illustrate the challenges of autism, but also bring warmth and humor to those caring for children with autism, something he believes is essential.

"I avoid books with the word 'cure' in the title, because I think they offer false hope," he says. "But I also avoid negative stuff, because all these kids can be better. The worst thing is for people to give up on them."

Trade Secrets

After abandoning one niche for another, Future Horizons owner R. Wayne Gilpin says he has no plans to branch out from autism-related publications.

He says he is often approached by people asking if he would be interested in expanding into, for example, publications on Down Syndrome.

"I'm comfortable where we are," Gilpin says. "This is a market I understand, and I think it's much smarter to stay focused."

Expansion, should it come, will be primarily in the field of autism - and into other countries he says.

Future Horizons, which puts on 14 conferences a year and exhibits at 20 others to market its books, has a staff of seven.

"We are sometimes overworked," Gilpin says, adding that he may increase the staff to about 10.

Gilpin says he believes his company is performing an important service and that he feels an obligation to readers and those with autism.

"Obviously we have to make a profit so we can continue to do the things we want to do," he says. "There's no gains for kids with autism if Future Horizons goes under."

Future Horizons, Inc.
721 West Abram Street, Arlington, TX 76013
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