#PublishingReinvented 183 More on Your Ideal Reader - The 7 Key Attributes + Why I have a new author Facebook page

Identifying the ideal reader for a book is crucial as it helps us tailor our marketing strategies, and our advertising for a book. Here are seven key attributes of the ideal reader to consider for any book:

1. Demographic Characteristics: This includes age, gender, income level, education level, marital status, and occupation. For example, a young adult novel would ideally target readers aged between 12 and 19, who are in school or college.

2. Psychographics: This refers to the personality, values, opinions, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles of your target audience. A book on sustainable living might appeal to readers who value environmental conservation and have a lifestyle that supports eco-friendly practices.

3. Reading Habits: Understanding how often your target audience reads, what formats they prefer (e-books, audiobooks, print), and their purchasing habits (online, bookstores) is useful. For instance, a tech-savvy audience might prefer e-books or audiobooks over traditional print.

4. Genre Preferences: Different readers have different genre preferences like romance, mystery, science fiction, non-fiction, etc. A historical fiction novel would naturally appeal to those who enjoy reading about history and past events.

5. For Non-fiction Pain Points or Needs: What problems does your book solve or what needs does it fulfill for the reader? For a self-help book, the ideal reader might be someone seeking personal development or coping with specific life challenges.

6. Cultural or Social Background: Books often resonate with readers who can relate to the cultural, social, or geographical settings and themes. A novel set in rural India might appeal more to readers familiar with or interested in that setting.

7. Influences and Motivations for Reading: Why do they read? Is it for entertainment, education, escapism, or self-improvement? Knowing this can help in positioning the book. For example, a business book might be read for professional growth and knowledge.

Understanding these attributes helps us to create a detailed ideal reader persona, an ideal reader avatar we call it, which can be a valuable tool for authors and marketers. This targeted approach ensures that the promotional spend targets the most receptive audience, thereby increasing the likelihood of its success.

One Example - My New Facebook Page

My new series is about an Anglo-Saxon healer who survives the Battle of Hastings and discovers her hidden royal lineage.

The ideal reader for this is a woman in the United Kingdom who is over 45, well educated, interested in history and the evolving role of women. She reads constantly and enjoys historical fiction. Two of her favourite authors are Phillipa Gregory and Anne O’Brien. Both these authors have popular Facebook pages they contribute too regularly. They have some Instagram presence too.

I have therefore recently created a dedicated Facebook Page for the series here. It follows the style of posts the above authors adopt. If you’d like to Like the page, that would be great.

The Page will be used to run Facebook ads targeting the above ideal reader avatar, first for building an ARC reader list and then for advertising the book with a chapter give away to build a long term reader email list for the series and to build sales long term.

To subscribe to this newsletter, for those who may have received this email as a trial, click below for monthly and annual options:

Subscribe now