How to Find a Unicorn

Nope, not that kind…my "ideal reader."

There's pressure to market your book to your "ideal reader." The time I've spent researching this ideal reader is like playing tick-tack-toe with myself. I always win because I know all the answers, but the wins are meaningless.

Did Fifty Shades of Grey have an ideal reader? I wonder…or did she have zillions of readers wanting to read a different story that didn't exist at the time? Searching for zillions of readers seems in conflict with instructing writers to keep one reader in mind when writing their book to focus the story.

The genre the reader prefers seems to play a role, but if I examine my reading preferences as an example, I realize there's more to it. I don't enjoy sci-fi books, but give me an exciting plot with juicy characters, and I'm likely to change my mind (Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and 1984 by George Orwell are examples.)

People enjoy fiction books for various reasons, but the characters play a significant role. The reader grows to identify with and understand them, and—even love the ones they're supposed to hate. The reader may even imagine themselves as the main character.

Since we write romance, it might be a good idea to think about the tropes our readers like best? Enemies to lovers? A heroine with a secret? Best friends to lovers?

What are the protagonist's flaws and what must they overcome and learn? What hobbies or interests do they have? Interior design, yoga, listening to blues music? That might resonate more with my reader than occupation or income level.

What is the age of my ideal reader? My generation, younger, older? Other matters are more important than the age of my reader as it relates to my characters. What is the reader looking for from reading my book, and what are its benefits? Information, comfort, escape, excitement, to learn life's lessons, hope? What message is my book promoting, and will my reader agree?

What is my readers' psychographics? What do they think about it? What keeps them up at night? Are they introverted or extroverted? What are their personal values and goals. What is their unique style? How do they dress, where do they eat and shop?

What authors do my ideal readers read? Do I write like them? How are my books different? I wasn't really sure about this one. I've read many romance books, but other than finding similar tropes, I had no clue if my work resembled another writers. This might explain why I became curious when I received an email promoting Inkubate. They claimed they could show me three best-selling authors my book aligned with. The cost was $99.00, and they ran a special for examining two works for $149.00. I signed up after attending an hour online presentation about the software. The price included an in-person consultation after the analysis to answer questions.

A computer analyzes your writing style and shows authors you compare closest to and how to target their audience. They only compare your writing to other best-selling books. They compare vocabulary, expressive complexity, tonal quality, and grammar. Imagine my surprise that my dark romance novels shared an almost 87-97% alignment with three other religious romance books, spiritual romances. I was told to pay attention to the keywords listed beside each book and that writing style brings readers back to the same author, again and again, more than the genre. I'm not sure I believe that, but I'm not an expert. After getting over the shock of my book aligning with religious romance books, I realized my books contain several discussions on right and wrong, and I mentioned God four times. In one book, my protagonist is a Buddhist. Maybe it's not so crazy after all. At the very least, it gave me another way to approach my marketing efforts using additional keywords. I received some helpful information, but I'm not inclined to put all my eggs in this basket. My first quibble is the comparison best seller books need updating (at least every two years), and second, users should not use this information without conducting their own research. In my mind, it's only supplemental.

To learn more about the authors my work compared to, I read reviews on Goodreads to see what readers had to say. What emotions did the book evoke? I took notes on the things they said they liked and didn't like about the book. This is where beta readers come in again. They can provide the same valuable feedback before your book goes into print.

If you have a social media presence, you can use the analytics available on the platform to get a window into your ideal reader (at least the demographics.) If you have readers already supporting your work, they are an excellent indicator of your ideal reader. You can also use Google trends to see keywords readers search for. You can see the popularity of these keywords. The states where they are most popular and the top related queries and related topics. Using these research tactics can help to determine if there is enough of an audience for your books. If not, how could you extend your audience by expanding the concepts of your book to include more readers?

Publishers want to know from the get-go, the specific audience for your book. I knew my ideal reader abstractly before the marketing stage of my first book, but continuing to focus on this reader as I write the next book and edit existing ones keeps my brand focused. It can also help me as I go through the query process. Knowing my ideal reader allows me to create taglines and book descriptions, strengthen my online platform, keep current readers happy, and attract new ones. Another way to attract your ideal reader is through advertising, using the keywords you've discovered.

Knowing my ideal reader as I would an old friend may take years, but thinking and learning about them can only inform my writing and marketing.

Please comment on how you've found your ideal reader or how you go about searching for them.

Have a productive week!