I know it’s important to understand who you’re writing and marketing to, but how do I develop my ideal reader avatar? Every time I try, it feels like I’m limiting myself.
Needing to Niche Down
Dear Niche,
Oh darling, focusing on your target audience feels as frightening as finalizing a paint palette for your parlor. Why choose when there are so many gorgeous colors to pick from? But defining your ideal reader liberates your creativity to flourish, not flounder! It helps you craft stories and connections tailored to those most eager for your tales.
First, study your current cheer squad for clues. Who are the devoted fans who get your style and have tastes most in tune with your creative vision? What do these existing fans have in common? Age? Interests? Values? Analyze reviews and engage with readers to identify unifying threads. Cater to those taste buds, whether they prefer Mystery, Romance, or more. Build on what devotees are already drooling over. Just like creating a Pinterest board, it’s time to get out the virtual swatches and paint charts.
Then get imaginative! Envision the ideal reader drinking in your words in a kitchen designed with them in mind. Create avatars who represent these amazing people. Take copious notes. Build them up as you would characters in your book. Think about their personalities, professions, habits, quirks, and dreams. Make them vivid, not vague: Felicity, the thirty-something bold baker enthralled by Magical Realism. Ivan, the new retiree seeking Adventure stories to inspire global travels. Is Clara your children’s book avatar, or are you engaging Edgar, the erudite professor? Fix on a workable number—I would suggest a maximum of four main avatars to get you started. The avatars are supposed to help you decide, not overwhelm you with too much choice.
Keep these imaginary friends at the top of your mind as you create and connect. Would Felicity love this plot twist? How can you engage Ivan? Would the jokes for Clara hit the same as your lines to intrigue Edgar? Tailor writing and marketing to delight your dream patrons.
Although they are archetypes and not actual people, your avatars may evolve over time. Like all siblings, as they grow, they’ll need more space—ideally their own room. Some might even want to leave home and explore the sights and sounds of a new type of story. Does that mean you have to redecorate? Do you follow them with new books in a new genre under a new pen name? Or do you let them fly and focus on the avatars who remain? Perhaps you might even want to recruit a new avatar to take their place. The important thing is to review your audience constantly and adjust your avatar family accordingly.
Next, identify any running themes that thread across their rooms. For example, Stephen King terrifies readers of all ages who crave creepy tales with relatable characters. Ann Patchett transports book club gal pals to vivid global settings through family dramas.
In short, what is your brand, and how does it satisfy your audience? Different avatars will have different tastes, but with careful attention to detail in your design, you can offer something to please them all.
As with all good writing, avoid clichés. Cozy Mysteries do have readers who knit and bake, but they aren’t all grannies that live on the East Coast. Think instead of how books about knitting grannies on the East Coast who solve ghastly murders appeal to different demographics within your reader pool. What is it about your stories that draw people in?
Defining your ideal reader offers many concrete benefits for writing and marketing:
Defining your target audience takes work but pays creative and commercial dividends. I hope these benefits convey why the time spent getting to know your imaginary friends is well worth the effort. Now craft a dream house for them, and watch your fan base flourish.
Happy writing,
Indie Annie
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