Find Your Target Readers

One of an author’s biggest fears is that they will publish their book and no one will read it. Though that is a valid concern, you can take steps now to make sure your book gets in the hands of the right readers. I've compiled a few of my favorite tips in this week's blog.

1. First, you need to know who your target reader is!

I’m sure you already have an idea of who would benefit from your book, but so many authors get stuck with the idea that their book is for everyone. (It’s not.) And as Amy Jones of Writer's Digest says, "You aren't the most important part of your book; your reader is. Your reader needs to know why and how your book will help them solve a problem or enrich their lives. It’s what keeps them interested and invested in your book."

How can you get inside the head of your target reader? With nonfiction books, you are often writing to people just like you with similar life experience, so you can understand what might motivate them.

To go a little further with that idea, consider this fun exercise (you can do this even while you are still writing your book): Imagine an actual person as your target reader. What age are they? What gender? What do they look like? What keeps them up at night? What matters to them? The more specific you can be with this, the better.

It's vital to understand exactly who your book is for so you can articulate what problem you are solving for them in your marketing. Rather than limiting your marketing efforts, having a specific audience in mind helps you target your marketing, branding, and sales copy to the right people. 

2. Figure out where your target readers hang out.

Are they on Facebook? Instagram? TikTok? Are they in conference rooms or classrooms? At nonprofits or churches? Or are they surfing Amazon for their latest read? Are they die-hard podcast listeners? There’s no reason to run an ad on Facebook if your readers are all on LinkedIn. And you may not want to put all your marketing efforts for a business book solely on TikTok.

Once you discover where your target reader spends their time, consider how you can engage with them. Explore reader communities, join the conversations there, and provide value. The benefit of being in a community with your target reader is the opportunity to have a front-row seat to the things that they care about.

Also consider blogs, podcasts, and YouTubers with an audience including your target reader. Some blogs and podcasts serve all genres of fiction and nonfiction. Start with familiar ones, then branch out to others using a podcast search tool like Listen Notes.

As Jenna Harte of Fiction University says, "The goal is to figure out where your readers are and then go meet them, not wait and hope they can find you."

3. Run targeted ads.

Running ads on BookBub, Facebook, Amazon, TikTok, and other platforms can be a helpful tool to go beyond your immediate network of people. Again, know where your target reader spends their time, develop ads that show how your book solves a problem for them, narrow down the audience for the ad, and test for click-throughs and conversion until you find the right combination. 

There is so much support out there to guide you in your book ad journey, but my personal favorites are Dave Chesson of Kindlepreneur, Mark Dawson of Self Publishing Formula, Jane Friedman, and Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn.

Need some guidance or just want someone to brainstorm with you? Schedule a free connection call to figure out next steps in your book marketing: https://calendly.com/inspirebooks/connection-call