Today’s writers have more options for getting their work in front of the right book audience than ever before. But with so many platforms and strategies available, it can take time to know where to start.
What you need to know about your audience demographics.
Demographics are the characteristics of a person or group of people.
Demographics are used to understand your audience and market to them.
Demographics can be used to understand your target market, which is the type of person who would be interested in reading your book.
This includes things like age, gender, race/ethnicity, location, etc. For example, If you’re writing a book about weight loss and exercise, then it makes sense that most readers will probably be women between 25-50 years old who live in urban areas with easy access to gyms or parks where they can go for walks or runs (or rides).
Demographics also give us insight into competitors’ audiences–the demographics they’re targeting with their books!
How to find groups and forums related to your subject matter.
Use Google to search for groups and forums related to your subject matter.
Look through social media posts, especially if it’s something you’re interested in or can relate to. For example: “I’m looking for local writers’ groups in [your town].”
Check out paid membership sites that may have a section dedicated to connecting people with similar interests (for example, LinkedIn).
Check out your local library! They often host open discussions and books-related events, so this could be an excellent place to start meeting like-minded individuals. You might even find someone who already knows about some great online communities where your readers hang out–and if not, they might know someone else who does!
Remember that asking friends and family members can be another excellent way of locating relevant groups – maybe even before Google does!
Look for opportunities to network in person and online.
If you’re looking to meet readers in person, there are plenty of opportunities. You could join a local book club or attend an event at your local library. If you have time and resources, consider organizing your own event with other authors in your genre.
To find fellow writers online, look no further than Twitter and Facebook groups dedicated to exchanging tips about writing and publishing.
Some of these groups are very large; others may only have a few hundred members but are still valuable because they allow you to connect with people who share common interests and similar experiences from working within the industry (or wishing they did).
There’s also LinkedIn–an excellent place for connecting with professionals from all walks of life!
Make sure you’re targeting the right market.
Now that you have a list of potential readers, it’s time to ensure they’re the right people. If you’re targeting the wrong audience, then all your efforts will be wasted and your book will not sell as well as it could have.
This is where your research comes into play. You need to ask yourself who will be most interested in your book and why? What do they want from it? What are their biggest problems? How can you help them solve them? Once you know this information, it’s time to start writing!
Figure out if you’re writing for an existing audience or creating new demand for your book.
When writing a book, there are two main types of audiences to consider: an existing audience and a new one.
To reach an existing audience, you need to know who they are and how many people they make up–in other words, the size of your potential market. If this information isn’t readily available (or if it’s not available at all), we recommend starting with the second option: creating demand for your book by finding new readers who didn’t know about the topic before reading your work.
Pay attention to existing trends and how readers might respond.
Pay attention to existing trends and how readers might respond.
Book marketing is all about finding your target audience, so it’s important that you’re aware of the current state of publishing as well as what’s happening with book marketing in general. Here are some things you should be paying attention to:
* What types of books are selling best right now? Is it fiction or nonfiction? Are there any specific subgenres that are hot right now?
* What genres/topics have been popular in recent years but seem less so now, or vice versa–are there any trends emerging from this data?
* How well-known are authors within certain genres or niches? Has anyone made an impact recently by breaking out beyond their usual audience base; if so, why do you think this happened (and can it happen again)?
Research books by similar authors who were successful at finding an audience.
The first thing you can do is look at the books that similar authors have written and see what they did to promote their books.
If you’re an author of a nonfiction book, it’s probably good to look at other nonfiction books that have been successful in your niche. If you’re an author of fiction, then look at other fiction books that were successful in your niche or genre (and don’t forget about self-published authors).
Look at their books’ reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, how well they ranked on Amazon during its bestseller lists (if applicable), and how many copies each sold over time.
You can also read the author’s blog posts about their marketing strategies–they might share some valuable tips!
It’s important to think clearly about who will want to read your book before you start writing it.
It’s important to think clearly about who will want to read your book before you start writing it. If you don’t know your audience, it’s hard to write for them.
Researching your audience will help you figure out what they like and how they talk, which can guide the style of your writing and make it more effective at reaching its intended readership.
Think about who would be interested in reading this book–and why? Think about people who won’t be interested in reading this book–and why not?
Discover your target readership with Spirit Media.
It’s important to remember that finding an audience for your book is a process, not a single event. You can’t expect overnight success, and there will be many times when you feel discouraged or unsure of yourself.
Spirit Media helps authors get their books published and marketed. We have a team of experts who can help you find your audience and programs that will help you market your book.
If you’d like to learn more about how Spirit Media can help you with your book marketing efforts, contact us today!
