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Marketing is essential for authors who want to boost book sales. That’s why the Crossroad Publisher team has created a series on book marketing ideas to help you generate maximum readership.

But it all begins with identifying your book’s target audience. In today’s post, we teach you how to find your readers.

10 Tips to Discover Your Book’s Target Audience

Marketing to a broad audience seems logical to many authors. But it is counterproductive.

On the contrary, target marketing pays short- and long-term dividends. Here’s how you can go about it.

Your readers can be anywhere

Know your Genre

Firstly, your genre is a good starting point for locating your readers. Every genre appeals to different readers. For example, a teenage romance story will not appeal to tech enthusiasts, who may be more interested in sci-fi books.

2. Look at your characters and themes

Secondly, readers resonate with the characters and themes of the novel. This can also provide clues on which demographics will be interested in your book.

3. Research similar books

Thirdly, check out the best-performing books in your genre. Read reviews and discussions online. This is where you will find your book’s target audience.

4. Leverage social media

Moving on, social media can help you tailor your marketing strategies. It gives accurate estimates of what people are into as far as reading habits are concerned.

5. Create reader personas

Before you create a marketing plan, write detailed reader personas. These are snapshots of your ideal readers. A persona contains details, such as age, gender, interests, location, and reading habits. These reader personas are a must for effective book marketing.

6. Engage with Potential Readers

Once you know your potential readers, engage with them in book clubs or social media groups. This will reveal further insights about your target audience.

7. Conduct surveys and polls

Why guess when you can ask? Create surveys and polls on social to gather direct feedback from your readers online.

8. Monitor trends

Moving on, subscribe to magazines and websites like Publisher’s Weekly to know what genres are trending. It will also help you understand what readers are into these days.

9. Go out and network

While the internet is a treasure trove of insights, you should “go out in the field” as they say. Participate in book fairs, launches, and writer’s workshops to get an on-the-ground reality check about people’s reading preferences.

10. Test and improve

Finally, remember that all market research is tentative. As you market your book and track engagement and sales rates, it will give you the most accurate picture of who your book’s target audience is.

That’s all for now! Follow these tips to market your book more effectively. Of course, finding your audience is just the first step.

But why stop there?

At Crossroad Publisher, we specialize in crafting personalized marketing plans to take your book to the next level. Contact us today to get started on promoting your book.