"An aspiring author's book is for everyone, while a published author's book is for someone specific."
When we first envision penning our bestseller, the corner of our mouth raises--a permanent smile, it seems, etched on our face. But when we actually start to learn about publishing that bestseller, we soon learn that if our book is for "everyone," it means that it's really for no one.
As readers, we all have specific things that we like and that we look for in a book--whether this is a certain genre and subgenre, a particular character type, or a special narrative style--and we succeed in doing so when we find authors who are writing for one of those things.
As an author, you need to know the audience you're trying to reach, and it's impossible to try to reach everyone at the same time. Authors have to get specific and know who they are writing for.
The pool of readers out there is huge. In fact, it's more like an ocean of readers, and that's a pretty big area for someone to try to reach "everyone" in it. Knowing who your target audience is as a writer will help you know where best to go in this big ocean of readers to find those who will best enjoy and use what you're putting out there.
At Path To Publishing, we love this quote by Ron Pramschufer: "The smaller and more defined the target audience, the easier it is going to be to reach them on a limited budget."
So don't write for everyone. Write for someone!
If you need help writing, or simply want a literary industry expert and professional to review your work and provide you with critical professional feedback, email info@pathtopublishing.com with Professional Book Critique in the subject line, and we'll set up a call to learn more about your needs. You can also go to app.10to8.com/book/gmerivvtrtwgsyuezivgt-free and set up a free 15-minute literary consulting call with one of our Verified Literary Companions.
Remember that Path To Publishing is your writing and publishing team...the family you get to choose, who will help you narrow your target window for you and your readers.
