“My book is for everyone.”
As the marketing assistant at Siretona Creative, part of my job is helping authors identify their ideal readers. Some of the authors already have a solid answer. They are writing for nieces and nephews, people curious about their experiences, or fans of a specific genre. Other authors give the above response, believing their book is meant for everyone.
I understand the desires that fuel that belief. You want your book to do well and be loved. I don’t think the idea that “this book is for everyone” is useful for authors. Instead, authors should find their ideal readers.
Why? Knowing your ideal reader can inform editing decisions, marketing decisions, and success definitions.
Identify Your Ideal Reader
Ideal readers go by other names, including “reader avatars” and “model readers.”. No matter what you call them, they are the specific demographic for which you are writing. In marketing, we suggest picking a specific real or fictional person to represent your ideal reader.
When Lisa May LeBlanc approached us with the manuscript for The Ninth Child, she had a specific ideal reader in mind. She was writing for her nieces and nephews. She wanted them to understand their family’s story. Those readers loved it, and many other people loved it, too. Your ideal audience can shape your book. Their interests and experiences can help you decide what topics to cover or what language to use. If you are writing for children who struggle with reading comprehension, you may choose to present a storyline with relatable themes and simple phrasing. If you are writing for a Christian audience, you could avoid excessive swearing or violence.
Knowing your ideal audience can also help you choose a tone. Do you want to be inspiring, entertaining, educational, or some combination of the above? What decisions can help you create that tone?
Go to Your Reader
Once you know where your ideal audience is, you can determine where they are likely to be. If your ideal audience is children, going to children’s markets and book fairs may let you connect with your audience. An audience of adult Christians may prefer going to church camps or posting to faith-focused Facebook groups.
When you share a space with your ideal reader, the reader can find you easily. They will see you as a part of the community and be more likely to buy and read your book.
If you’re interested in ideal readers, you might be interested in improving your writing. We have an exciting pair of offers. Award-winning author Marcia Lee Laycock is hosting two summer camps this August. The first is the four-day Dwell in Possibilities poetry camp, which runs on August 12-15th. The second is the five-day Flash Fiction writing camp on August 19-23rd. Each camp only has ten spots, so sign up soon. Both are available on the Siretona Creative Offers Page.
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