#17 Who Is My Target Audience?

I know, I know. Just thinking about this question from when I was querying has my insides all squidged up. But this isn’t some torturous form field you have to fill in on the Query Manager site when submitting to agents. 

Deeeeeeeeppp breaths. This is just for you–to help you solidify your author brand. You won’t be quizzed on it, but taking the time to work through this now will help you in the long run. 

And if you’re a genius who already has a polished list from when you were querying, great! Let’s see if you want to add anyone else for your author brand. Here goes…

Writing for the Readers Who Are Looking for Your Kinda Stories

It’s easy to say “my book is for everyone,” but the truth is—it’s not. And that’s a good thing!

We can’t write for everyone. It’s just not possible. So, who are you writing for and what are they looking for?

After brainstorming a little, for me, it’s:

• Chronically ill and disabled readers looking for authentic representation
• Fans of YA contemporary fantasy and dark themes balanced with humor
• YA fantasy fans who love flawed protagonists, morally complex choices, and new twists on favorite tropes
• Readers craving fresh, unique experiences in fantasy

Is that everyone? Are we missing anyone else?? Idk about you, but I realized I was. I was missing you! The person I’m writing this whole stinking blog series for. 

Sometimes, the brain fog really wins 🙄😅. 

But you’re a huge and important part of my audience too (thanks for being here!!!). I’m also writing for other writers (whether you’re chronically ill or disabled like me or not!) who want to indie publish too. So I added you to my target audience list as well.

Am I missing anyone else?? 👀 Librarians looking for diverse and inclusive titles for their lists?? What do you think? 

What To Do With Your Fancy New List

Take your list and save it somewhere so you don’t lose it. Refer to it when you feel like you’re forgetting who you’re writing your author brand content for. Let it help you stay consistent when making all of your author brand content!

Next Steps:

• Make sure my blog posts & brand messaging speaks directly to these readers

• Use this when writing all the things 

💬 Question for You: Who is your ideal reader? And what do they want from your book? How can you speak directly to them? Are there authors out there who are really good at this? Share in the comments below!