Every author needs to know their ideal reader. Every businessperson must understand the needs of their ideal customer. Finding my ideal audience has always been a struggle.
The main reason for this is that I write in multiple genres. I also had a difficult time finding my coaching niche. After all, I want to help all the writers with all the things.
Because I remember being new and floundering. I would have paid to have a knowledgeable guide through that flood of uncertainty. But they didn’t have writing coaches and mentors back then.
My Ideal Reader
I never wanted to write romance. I know I’ve said that here many times.
But most of the readers on my author email list are romance readers.
My next book is women’s fiction. But it’s also a collection of short stories and not every fiction reader wants to read those.
It’s also touches on the tender topics of grieving, family strife, divorce, and the failure of religion to be the hands of Christ in the world.
Those tough subjects guarantee it will generate strong emotions in the readers. While all my beta readers enjoyed it and my editor has given it two thumbs up, that doesn’t reassure me that some people won’t be happy about it.
My reader avatar is a 50-year-old woman who reads to escape her humdrum life. She wants a happy ending, but she will toss aside one that is easily won. She reads about people she respects and hopes to become so immersed in their stories that she feels like she knows them.
My audience includes any adult woman who doesn’t mind thrashing through a lot of complex emotions that might trigger memories of losses she’s experienced. These readers don’t want fluff for their escape hatch. They want to walk away from a story with a sense of being armed with new knowledge or purpose.
Do you know anyone like this? I have books I’d recommend to them.
My Ideal Client
This year, I’m prioritizing my freelance business. I’m hoping to reach serious writers who are willing to invest in the future of their stories.
The investment will require time and finances. They will need to work and be accountable for the plans they make.
Mainly, I want to coach writers through the completion of their book, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction.
’m offering a six-month program where we meet weekly (sometimes just for a check-in) and they submit pages to me every other month. During our sessions, they’ll talk me through their story. I’ll ask questions to help them strengthen their plot and character arc.
I’ll offer feedback on their writing. First, they’ll submit the synopsis of their story. Reading it will give me a general sense of the overall plot and introduce me to their characters. That will help me guide the questions so my client can write their best story.
Of course, I’ll also help authors through critique of chapters. Or by giving their completed manuscript a thorough reading offering a professional evaluation. And if they write fiction in genres I’m familiar with, they can hire me to do a complete developmental edit of their finished book.
My ideal client is a 45-year-old Christian woman who loves storytelling and has long dreamed of publishing a book. She’s attended writing classes and has a decent understanding of the book-writing process. She’s made writing a priority, so there is time in her schedule to work on the book, but she’s ready for real help. Even if it means giving up her daily Dutch Bros. Coffee, she’s willing to put money toward making her dream come true.
While I can help any writer through the process, writers of romance, women’s fiction, literary fiction, mystery, young adult, middle grade or fantasy will get the best return on their investment. I’ve read, written, and been schooled in the requirements for these genres.
Are you in my ideal audience? Drop a comment to tell me how.