Writers write because they have something to say. But to whom?
Writing Tip for Today: Here are some tips for defining and reaching your audience:
Where’s Your Book?
New writers often think their book will be in bookstores “everywhere” and that will be enough. Or, noobs will say their book’s on Amazon or a website, so that will do. Unfortunately, neither of these answers will help you market your work.
Thanks to digital publishing, millions of would-be bestselling authors flood the book markets. I’m not sure why, but in an age when we get our content from online media, many people still want to write a book—and become famous or wealthy. Your audience may be waiting out there for you, but people can’t buy a book they don’t know about.
Your first task in thinking about publishing should be to define your audience. Avoid saying that your book will appeal to everyone (it won’t). Put in the work to identify what genre, subgenre or category where your book fits. If you are unable to do this (my book is about a lot of things), you’ll have trouble finding those readers.
Panel of Twelve
When you write, you might consider constructing a panel of the twelve readers you’d most like to impress with your work. You probably ought to leave Mom and Jesus off that list—they’ll love anything you do regardless of quality.
List actual people you know on your panel of twelve. If your list is filled with celebrities or famous writers, you may not ever get them to read your work. Why not put readers you admire on your list and write to them?
As you draft your book, stop periodically to revisit that list. Have you strayed away from your original target audience? Additional exercise: Write a list of sentences that start out, “Readers who love (blank) will want to read my book. To give your list a head start, find published books online and look at the key words list. Those key words will help you define the readers you wish to attract.
Identify what genre, subgenre or category where your book fits.
The Online Plunge
As you begin to more fully understand your readership, you should also be expanding your online presence. Even before your book is published (either traditionally or independently), start growing your “platform,” as it’s known. You can do this online or with speaking engagements.
For writers of a certain age, shy writers and those without great wi-fi, platform can be daunting. You’ll need a basic website, but how do you attract followers and subscribers? One way you can build up your readership is by giving potential subscribers something of value just for signing up. Construct a small e-book and give it as a reward for the email address of a potential reader. Another idea is to regularly write short blog entries and post them across your social media channels.
Building a readership takes time and money. Do what you can to accumulate email addresses and followers before you’re ready to publish. Use social media to let others know about your book. Spread the word about your book by knowing the genre, potential key words and with your panel of twelve ideal readers. You’ll be in a much better position to market your book—and maybe even get it into a brick and mortar bookstore.
