You have written a book, probably a bestseller, and you are ready to self-publish it. But do you know who you’d be publishing it for, i.e., your target audience? And if not, how would you identify your target audience? Essentially, wherever you are, whatever you write, being aware of your readers is the most crucial aspect of book publishing. And truth be told, knowing your target audience will only make you write a better book. This blog navigates the steps for identifying your target audience before you publish a book for free at Writat.
Your Book Could be a Super Hit if the Right People Know About It
Somebody out there is going to love your book. As a self-published author, your focus should be on finding them. Writing a book with the target audience in mind will help you to stay aware of what you are trying to accomplish with your book.
Step 1: Identify Your Reader Before You Start Writing
You will solve ten percent of the problem by knowing whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction. It will help you organize your book because, ultimately, your audience will be your source of motivation. For example, you will know what message you want to convey, who you want to convey it, and how your reader would benefit from it.
For Non-Fiction Books
When you write non-fiction, you are essentially parting facts, knowledge, or information uniquely. However, the most critical part of the book is your reader. So, you will have to answer your readers’ questions to improve their understanding, education, and quality of life.
Therefore, you must research what answers they need, where in the book they need (like what background information your readers need first or do they already possess some degree of knowledge), and what you need to conclude.
If you identify the target audience, you can more likely use scientific jargon and terms without explaining them or directly skip to the answer without offering basic information. This will allow you to create the table of content strategically. It will also help you determine what to include and what not to, and how many more books you need to write to cover an entire topic, in case of a series.
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Step 2: Be as Specific As Possible
For Fiction Books
Identifying the target audience for fiction books is a continuous process because there is always a chance of you wavering or moving away from the original story.
As you write, create a reader persona and be as specific as possible. This means providing the exact description of your ideal reader – age, sex, location, education, hobbies, marital status, interests, likes & dislikes, habits, personality, mood, career, etc.
For example, if you are writing science fiction, you would want to make sure Paula reads your book. Paula is 30 and works in an IT company. She has watched all the latest American action-adventure movies and shows and loves the superhero who has a machine for a heart.
Step 3: Consider the Secondary Markets
Secondary markets include those readers that match your proto-persona, for instance, Paula’s brother, Richard, who occasionally enjoys a grasping fringe story. Secondary readers might also be interested in your book.
Example: A young-adult book that helps teens cope with adolescent issues can also interest parents, teachers, therapists, and social workers.
Try focusing on one primary market and at least three secondary markets closest to your book.
Quick Read: Learn How to Self-Publish a Fiction Book for Free
Step 4: Use social media to Narrow Down Your Options
Social media is an ideal place to connect with your potential readers. You will gain a lot of information by going through the posts and interactions of people. Tools like Facebook Audience Insights and Twitter Advanced Search can help you discover what people are discussing and sharing and how they react to relevant subjects.
You can also explore Facebook groups that show interest in books similar to yours or search tweets that contain your genre’s hashtags to broaden your search. By combining these social media tools, you can strategize the right approach to reach your target audience.
Other channels to look for include commenters on niche blogs, websites of authors with top-selling books, online communities, and readers’ forums, like Goodreads.
Knowing your author can help you accomplish many objectives in book-publishing online, including writing the perfect meta description, digital marketing, cover designing, and setting book’s price. You can also take help from Writat’s assisted publishing experts to publish a book for free for your target audience.
