The surprising first step to writing a book
Keep the reader in mind
One of the first questions I ask writers I’m coaching is this: who is your reader?
If you want to sell books, you must be clear on the answer to this question.
Your book, though it is written by you, tells your story, and shares your wisdom, is not just about you. So before you write a book, you need to get very clear about your target reader. You’ll market to them before you even begin writing, and keep them in mind as you write.
That may seem counter-intuitive, but your book is as much about the reader as it is about you. A great book shares your wisdom and insight in a way that makes the reader feel connected, that helps them, that meets their felt need. Books are a bridge, a connection, between a writer and their reader.
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So—who is your reader? Who are you writing your book for? Who absolutely needs the message of your book? And how can you connect with that person, even before you publish your book?
Sometimes, bless their hearts, starry-eyed would-be authors tell me that their book is really for “everyone.” This is never true. Don’t believe me? Look at this week’s New York Times Bestsellers list. Does every book on it appeal to you? Will you run out and buy Melania Trump’s memoir, Nicholas Sparks’ latest novel, and Patricia Cornwell’s 28th (!) book in her Scarpetta series?
Each of those books appeals to a certain audience, but typically not the same one. They are very different books, but they all sold really well this week.
Before you build a house, you need a foundation. Before you publish a book, you need to build connection with your audience, you need to know who your readers are and what they want.
In my free Start Your Powerful Story Workbook (free to subscribers to this newsletter), I ask writers to work through twenty questions about their message, their reader, their experience, and the competition for their book. I recommend going through this workbook slowly and thoughtfully before even beginning to outline their book.
Many aspiring writers assume that they’ll write a book, and then their audience will discover them, serendipitously. Word of mouth will spontaneously spread, and surprisingly, the book will sell thousands of copies. Such a lovely dream.
Typically, that is not how this works.
Publishing is a business. Note that I did not say writing is a business, although that is partially true, in that writing for publication is a business. If you’re writing just for the sheer joy of it, to share your well-crafted sentences with just a few friends or maybe your family, or to keep them locked away in your journal, then writing is not a business. It is a hobby. A satisfying hobby that doesn’t cost much at all.
But if you are going to invest the time and money to seek publication, a business approach makes sense. You and your book are a product, which you must sell. If you’re self-publishing, you are selling to your readers. If you are able to score a deal with a traditional publisher, you do so by selling your idea to them, and then selling your book to readers.
Book marketing expert Rob Eager advises doing marketing before publishing in this helpful article.
Any successful entrepreneur will tell you that before they launch a business, they study the market. They might do focus groups to learn more about what motivates people to buy certain products or services. They find a need or a niche, they connect with potential customers and figure out how to meet that need.
The most successful authors have connected in some way to their audience before they write their book, and definitely before they publish it. How?
Perhaps they have a newsletter (like this one).
They might speak to audiences that are basically full of their target reader.
Maybe they blog or podcast, exploring the ideas that they will cover in their book.
They might freelance for publications or websites that their target reader already reads. For example, when I began writing books for Christian moms, I was a regular contributor to MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers) Magazine, and Today’s Christian Woman. My target reader read those publications.)
They could connect with readers on social media, though the algorithms are fickle. Social media is a place to connect with potential readers, but not the only place. It’s best used in conjunction with other avenues.
If you are going to embark on the business of publishing, it makes good sense to start by finding your audience (customers) before you invest the time and money. If this sounds daunting, it can be. But we can do hard things. You can find your audience, and doing so, lay a foundation that will help you build a successful writing and publishing career.
P.S. Questions? Please leave a comment. Or share with us how you connect with your potential readers.