Friday, April 4, 2014
D is for Defining your Audience
Defining your audience is key to helping you sell your book. It is also key to editing your book and choosing your beta readers.
My husband is a voracious reader but he has never read a romance story or a book about a female's take on mid-life crisis or a book about family relationships. He is not my audience and is not going to be a good beta reader for me.
Women over forty who enjoy reading romance or contemporary fiction are my audience and they have made the best beta readers. I do have a wonderful male writer in one of my groups who read the chapter where my lead characters meet and all five of the women loved it exactly as it was but he thought it needed more sex and that the description of the woman should talk more about her breasts. "NO!" was the resounding response from the women in the group and they are my audience so their opinions are the ones that count.
Knowing my audience also helps to define my comparison authors and books. It helps me know where to advertise my book as well.
Defining your audience is one of the first things you have to do when you have completed the first draft of your story.
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Well put. I totally agree. Happy A to Z. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting. I found this to be one of the easier things that I find some of my fellow authors didn't take into consideration. Now finding a comparison book and author that is always a challenge!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely agree with this Kat. Important to define your audience. You and I have the same target audience but having said that my hubby (lover of science fiction) does read and enjoy my work - luckily.
ReplyDeleteFran, great to 'see' you again. My husband just asked when he could read my next book! Took me completely by surprise. He is a great editor.
DeleteBrilliant - grab the opportunity. My husband is great proof reader. We need all the help we can get.
DeleteFran congratulations on your book debut on the 25th. The story sounds intriguing and is definitely one I would read if I didn't 'know' you. I look forward to reading it and giving you a review.
DeleteJust dropping by to say hello! I'll be in your audience! I love blogging and have 3 blogs going right now. Working on my first draft of my FIRST book. Look forward to reading your posts!
ReplyDeleteYou can find me over at: http://www.freezerburned-suddenlysusan.blogspot.com
~ susan
Thanks for visiting. I love your tagline on your website; people who realize they are a work in progress will keep progressing, those that don't will stagnate.
DeleteI'm amazed you can keep up with three blogs. Good for you. Congratulations on embarking on your first novel. Good luck.
Visiting you on the the 4th day of the #challenge. Looking for fellow writers and here you are. Hope you make lots of new blogging friends this month. If you have time or interest, I'm writing about gardening and related things this month. Come and see me. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteStepheny, thanks for stopping by. Your book sounds like a perfect read for me. I have added it to my list as soon as this crazy month is over.
DeleteI hope you enjoy the blogging challenge.
I couldn't agree with you more! I made the mistake once by asking my husband his "opinion" of a ms I was working on. I write YA from a female's POV, so this was like asking a blind man how my driving skills were...completely pointless.
ReplyDeleteI have since found my target audience and have a handful of beta readers who actually read (and enjoy) this genre.
Great post!
Randa, I love your "asking a blind man..." comment. I will give my husband kudos on being a good editor for punctuation and format.
DeleteI have been blessed with a very helpful group of beta readers. I struggle with going to the same people too much. Once they have read it once I hate to ask them for a final read after I have incorporated their comments and made my - hopefully- final changes.