{"id":30070,"date":"2015-10-20T16:44:48","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T21:44:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/publicityhound.com\/?p=30070"},"modified":"2025-10-22T14:55:01","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T14:55:01","slug":"how-to-find-readers-for-fiction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/marketing\/online-marketing\/how-to-find-readers-for-fiction\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Define and Find Ideal Readers for Your Fiction Books"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Too often, authors come to me <strong>only&nbsp;several weeks<\/strong> before they want to launch their books, asking me to help them create a publicity campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the first questions I ask is, &#8220;Who&#8217;s the target market for your book?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nonfiction authors have a pretty good idea. They rattle off the demographics and likes and dislikes of their ideal readers in about 30 seconds, sometimes with <strong>a little prodding<\/strong> from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For fiction authors, the question often&nbsp;<strong>stumps them.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before I tell them where they can find their target market, I help them define it <strong>precision<\/strong> and <strong>accuracy.<\/strong> Here are my five best tips on how to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Define Your Ideal Readers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Start with the demographics.&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;ve written a literary novel, chances are good your readers are college educated. Trying to market a <strong>love story<\/strong> about a young Amish girl?&nbsp;Most of your readers are probably Christian, and many of them shop at Walmart, a big box retailer that loves these wholesome books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For <strong>World War II historical fiction,<\/strong>&nbsp;target mostly men, many of them Baby Boomers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are questions to ask about your readers&#8217; demographics. If you don&#8217;t know the answers off the top of your head, <strong>pay attention to your readers<\/strong> when you meet them in person, talk to them on the phone and engage on social media. <strong>Look for clues<\/strong> that will help you answer these questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Male or female?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Age range?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Income range?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Occupations?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Job titles?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Religious preference?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do they live in a specific region of the world or a country?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Democrat, Republican, Independent? Do they even care about politics?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gay or straight?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Married, single or divorced?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What&#8217;s the family&#8217;s living arrangement? Are they <strong>boomerang parents<\/strong> whose twentysomething kids live at home? Or is the target market the kids who moved back? Do your readers live in retirement communities?\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are they part of the sandwich generation, caring for still-at-home kids and elderly parents?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&nbsp;2.&nbsp;<strong>Don&#8217;t stop there.<\/strong> Know their likes and dislikes.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What are their hobbies and interests?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do they \u00a0travel? If so, where?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do they invest money? Or are they in deep debt?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What business problems keep them up at 3 a.m.?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What lifestyle problems cause sleepless nights?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are their favorite TV programs?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What magazines might you find on their night stands?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do they listen to radio? Talk radio? Jazz? Hip hop? NPR?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What social issues and causes do they care about? Are they activists? \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What influencers (celebrities, experts, thought leaders, famous authors) do they follow?\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Define how you can help them or entertain them.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, if you write fiction, this is <strong>definitely for you<\/strong> even though you might not think your books can &#8220;help&#8221; in the same way nonfiction books help people who need solutions to problems. Ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What are the top 3 problems they face&#8212;<strong>problems they want to escape<\/strong> when they look for good fiction to read?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How can your fiction help them? Or is it pure escape?\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What <strong>don&#8217;t they know<\/strong> that they need to know and that your book can teach them?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do your readers want weepy romance novels? Or crime thrillers that will encourage them to pretend they&#8217;re Lieutenant Columbo? \u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do they want nature poetry they can read while hiking in the middle of the forest?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Are they toddlers who need a calming story before bedtime and whose parents will welcome the help your books provide?\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why did you write the book? Sometimes the answer to that question is about helping readers <strong>understand something,<\/strong> or cope with it, or <strong>let go<\/strong> of it. \u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&nbsp;4. Pay attention to who&#8217;s attracted to your competition.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Choose your top three competitors&#8212;authors who&#8217;ve written books that are <strong>similar to yours<\/strong> and are competing for the time and attention of your ideal readers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check out their Twitter profiles. Find out <strong>who follows them<\/strong> on Twitter, and follow those people, many of whom will automatically follow you back. Publicity expert Sandra Beckwith explains how in <a href=\"http:\/\/buildbookbuzz.com\/3-steps-to-more-social-media-followers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">3 Steps to More Social Media Followers.<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Which reviewers are reviewing your competitors&#8217; books?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can you follow those reviewers on the social media sites? Do they have blogs where <strong>you can comment<\/strong> on topics they&#8217;re discussing <strong>without promoting<\/strong> your book?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In which special interest groups on book review and recommendation sites are your competitors discussing books and other topics?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do they have <strong>their own<\/strong> reader forums or discussion groups? LinkedIn or Facebook groups?\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where are your competitors <strong>getting publicity?<\/strong> Those journalists, bloggers, podcasters, talk show host and reporters are also part of your target market. Connect. \u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3 Places to Find Readers for Your Fiction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you have a pretty good idea how to define your ideal readers, it&#8217;s time to find them and connect. Here are three ways to do that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Answer questions about the topic of your book.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your historical novel takes place during World War II, you&#8217;ve most likely done a lot of research that can help people interested in the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find readers in LinkedIn Groups, Facebook Groups and on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.Quora.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Quora.com<\/a>, the giant question-and-answer site. Here are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicityhound.com\/blog\/6-reasons-to-use-quora-to-promote-your-expertise\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">6 reasons to use Quora to promote your expertise.<\/a>&nbsp;Fiction authors often have expertise, even at a basic level, on the topics they&#8217;ve written about. If you do, <strong>promote it!&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Visit online forums to meet readers interested in your topic.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I did a quick Google search and found more than <strong>a dozen forums<\/strong> that are discussing World War II. You can do the same to find readers who love sci-fi, fantasy, romance novels, crime thrillers, young adult, LGBT, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But don&#8217;t join these forums only to promote your book. As soon as you join,<strong> spend some time lurking.<\/strong> Get a good feel for what other members are discussing, and decide how you can best contribute to the conversation. Use these forums to ask questions, too. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Look for offbeat places in your own community where your ideal readers gather.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The best site for finding local groups is <a href=\"http:\/\/www.Meetup.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Meetup.com<\/a>. Even if they meet to discuss a topic, and not necessarily to discuss books, you can offer to speak to their group (and sell books at the end). Many Meetup groups <strong>love hosting speakers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the big advantages to researching Meetup groups is that many groups leave <strong>a trail of bread crumbs<\/strong> you can follow to find similar groups. Along the left side, you&#8217;ll find a column titled &#8220;People in This Meetup are Also In&#8221; and a list below it where you can find similar groups. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Learn More About Finding Your Ideal Readers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Join me on <strong>Thursday, Oct. 22,<\/strong>&nbsp;<strong>2015<\/strong> from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time for a webinar I&#8217;m hosting on <strong>&#8220;30+ Places to Find Fiction and Nonfiction Readers in Your Target Market.&#8221;<\/strong> I&#8217;ll tell you where you can find your readers and exactly what to do to connect and start building relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicityhound.com\/shop\/30-places-to-find-fiction-and-nonfiction-readers-in-your-target-market\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Register here<\/a>&nbsp;even if the time is inconvenient because I&#8217;ll send you a link to the video replay and the bonuses within 48 hours after the call. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Investing 90 minutes in this training now will save you <strong>months of tedious research<\/strong> when your book is ready. This program is also perfect for authors whose books have been on the market awhile but <strong>aren&#8217;t selling.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bring your questions. I&#8217;m leaving time at the end of the call to answer them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like this post? <strong>Help your author friends<\/strong> and share it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Too often, authors come to me only&nbsp;several weeks before they want to launch their books, asking me to help them create a publicity campaign. One of the first questions I ask is, &#8220;Who&#8217;s the target market for your book?&#8221; Nonfiction authors have a pretty good idea. They rattle off the demographics and likes and dislikes\u2026&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/marketing\/online-marketing\/how-to-find-readers-for-fiction\/\" class=\"rmlink\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","iawp_total_views":10,"wds_primary_category":612,"footnotes":""},"categories":[612],"tags":[608,554,764,742,214],"class_list":{"0":"post-30070","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-online-marketing","7":"tag-authors-publishers","8":"tag-goodreads","9":"tag-marketing-fiction","10":"tag-nonfiction","11":"tag-target-market","12":"entry"},"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Joan Stewart","author_link":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/author\/jstewart\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30070"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30070\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42835,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30070\/revisions\/42835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/purelysupp.com\/publicity\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}