Who Are Your Ideal Readers?

This is a critical question all authors should ask. And it’s a topic that will be covered in my upcoming 4-part course, “Book Your Success: Write Your Book in 90 Days or Less!”

Write your book with the end in mind – that is, the end users; those who will want to read your book.

After you identify your ideal readers and where to find them, you can implement a strategic plan for getting your book into their hands. So how do you ID your readers? First, consider the purpose of your book – to teach a concept, to share an exeprience and/or lesson, to warn of something, to make them laugh, to explain/educate, to inspire. 

Next, decide what you want readers to think, do, or feel once they complete your book. As the author, you should have an expected action you want readers to take while reading and after finishing your book. What should your readers think about the content they just read? What should they do now that they’ve completed reading your book? How should they feel about what they read and about their own life, business, family, etc.? Get clear on the “think, feel, do” concept to help identify the readers most likely to experience this outcome.

From these two steps, you can develop a profile of your readers – dads of small children, the empty nest couple, single working moms, teenage girls, do-it-yourselfers. By considering the ripple effect, you can increase your audience by also targeting those associated with your ideal readers – service providers, relatives, interest groups.

A simple Internet search will quickly identify blogs, professional organizations, and local Meetup groups that focus on the subject of your book. Learn what’s important to these audiences – their fears and dreams. Interact with these groups (or start your own) to show them how your book will help solve their problems, realize their dreams, or identify issues they struggle with daily.

Research other books with a similar theme. Check out the best sellers list and read other books on your subject to identify key strategies, concepts, language, and marketing concepts. Look at the cover designs and see which ones draw your attention. Also, examine the length of the book, its availability, price, book reviews, media coverage, and other elements that attract readers.

This is only the tip of the iceberg on this topic. Be sure to register for my 4-part course soon. There’s only space for 25 people. Oh, and there’s a special offer for followers of my blog: The first 10 registrants receive a 20% cash rebate on their course registration fee (payable at the end of the 4-part course). You can’t beat that! So register today!