| Americans are reading less...why you don't | | | | married or single? With children or without? |
| need to worry. | | | | Do they live in the city, country or suburbs? |
| | | | Where do they shop? What kinds of activities |
| Americans are reading less. That's the | | | | do they pursue? The clearer you can be, the |
| conclusion of a recent study by the National | | | | easier it will be for you to bring this |
| Endowment for the Arts. It's a follow up to | | | | person to mind. You can even give them a |
| an NEA survey that found an increasing number | | | | name--maybe you're writing for an Audrey, a |
| of adult Americans were not even reading one | | | | Matthew or a Chandra. |
| book a year. This information can be | | | | |
| depressing, especially if you've been | | | | Where Will You Find Them? Once you know your |
| spending all your precious time writing a | | | | reader, where can you find them so you can |
| book. Are you creating something that no one | | | | put your book in front of them? Remember, it |
| will ever read? Not necessarily. If you have | | | | doesn't have to be the usual channels. If |
| crafted your book and planned your marketing | | | | you've written a book on wellness and |
| properly, these statistics will NOT apply to | | | | nutrition, your book doesn't have to be in a |
| you! | | | | Borders or a Barnes & Noble to find your |
| | | | reader. It might be easier to find them in a |
| Here's why. The majority of the public | | | | yoga studio or a health food store. If you |
| doesn't read. But the majority of the public | | | | write for entrepreneurs, you could find them |
| is not your audience! Think in terms of the | | | | in a Staples, an Office Max or in airport |
| 80/20 rule: 20 percent of a group will most | | | | bookstores. You can do joint ventures with |
| likely provide 80 percent of your business. | | | | other authors or entrepreneurs who have lists |
| Your job is to make sure you're | | | | full or your ideal readers. Be creative here. |
| targeting--and finding-- your people, your 20 | | | | The only limit is your imagination. |
| percent. | | | | |
| | | | Don't Forget International Markets Remember, |
| Who Is Your Target Reader? Some writers have | | | | the NEA study only covered the United States, |
| trouble thinking in terms of "audience" | | | | which means there can be many, many readers |
| because it seems like a vast faceless mass. | | | | waiting for you all over the world. If your |
| So instead thinking of your target audience, | | | | book is sold in the internet, your book is |
| think of your target reader--one person. This | | | | available everywhere. You can also use |
| can be someone real or someone you've | | | | webinars, chatrooms and blogs to make your |
| idealized in your mind. When I was writing my | | | | book tour a globetrotting event, all from the |
| first novel, I had one of my co-workers at | | | | comfort of your home. |
| People magazine be my first line reader | | | | |
| because I felt she embodied my target market. | | | | Keep in mind that sales and audiences have |
| When I wrote, I kept her in mind as though I | | | | dropped in many areas and industries: |
| were sitting in her office telling her the | | | | television, movies, houses, cars, baked |
| story word for word. | | | | goods. Does that mean they stop making these |
| | | | items entirely? No! They just know they have |
| When you think of your reader, ask yourself | | | | to do things differently. The same goes in |
| many questions. How old is the person? Where | | | | the book world. Go find the different way |
| do they live? Where do they work? Are they | | | | that works for you. |