Get to Know Your Readers … Before You Write Your Book

This summer, another book profiling investment guru Warren Buffett will be released. I feel pretty certain that the author, Alice Schroeder, didn’t have to identify her audience or market before she began writing his long-awaited authorized biography. The publisher, Bantam Dell, plans to print one million copies in its first run.

Back in the real world (where we’re all not as famous­­ (or rich) as Warren Buffett), writers create great ideas for books every hour of every day, yet many wonderfully-written books often don’t achieve the author’s sales goals simply because they have been written without a target audience in mind.

I learned many valuable marketing lessons after writing my first book The Wacky World of Womanhood. After sending my already-published book to an agent, she recommended that I “tighten my audience.” It was a great suggestion I took to heart when formulating the idea for Husbands, Hot Flashes and All That Hullabaloo! I knew I wanted to write a book of humorous essays on a woman’s often hilarious journey through menopause, but when I conducted research on the number of menopausal women in the United States, I knew I had hit the jackpot. I learned that over 40 million women are currently suffering from some symptom of menopause, a statistic that eventually formed my humorous opening line in many radio interviews and press releases, “With millions of women currently experiencing hot flashes, now I know the real reason why we’re experiencing global warming!”

I also learned that many baby boomers grew up without television and learned to use computers later in life – statistics that told me that many baby boomers probably still enjoyed reading the old-fashioned way – on the couch with a hard copy of a book in hand, a pair of reading glasses on their nose, and a glass of wine within reach. In addition, many baby boomers are facing retirement and a slowing in the fast-paced lifestyle that many younger people still endure. Therefore, they had the time to read – all factors conducive to increased book sales.

In addition, while conducting book signings for my first book of personal essays that encompassed my life from childhood through age forty, I carefully watched the ages of those who purchased my book. Interestingly enough, my original target audience for my book was ages 25-40, but as I observed who exactly was buying my book, I noticed more and more women over age 60 standing in line at my signings than the younger women I had originally targeted.

So, how do you as a writer begin to identify if there is an audience for your potential book? First, think about who might enjoy reading your book.

What is their age?
Are they male or female?
Are they married, single or divorced?
Do they have young or grown children?
Where do they live?
What kind of problems do they face every day?
Do they work or are they retired?
Do they have a college education?
What do they like to do for fun?
What kind of values do they have?

Next, research your target audience. I searched on-line for “Baby Boomer Statistics” and at my fingertips, I had a seemingly endless list of ways to dig deep into the mindset of people born between 1946 and 1964, and from that larger group, I was able to delve into the specific characteristics and buying habits of baby boomer women. By typing in “Boomer Buying Decisions” I was able to determine that boomers are some of the wealthiest people in the country and, as a result, are driven, non-traditional, and nostalgic. The last word was the most important in my search – boomers like to relive their past, therefore, my essays on growing up during the 1960s would be particularly interesting to them, and therefore, relational in nature – a very important factor in marketing. Finally through my detailed research, I learned that women are responsible for 83% of all consumer buying decisions.

Once you have developed a list of the characteristics of your target audience, hang it on your computer. Every time you write an essay, a chapter, a sentence … think of your audience. After all, you are writing for them.

Read more about Vicky at www.wackywomanhood.com.