Go where your readers hang outīy now you should know who your target markets are, so the next question you need to ask yourself is: where can I find them? Takeaway tip: One of the great parts of writing a memoir is that by writing what you know, you already have a leg up in determining who your target market is - they will likely be people who share things in common with you. To learn more about how you can create your own Facebook ads to target your audience, head here. With this niche in mind, Fiona set about creating carefully targeted Facebook ads that, in her words, “delivered phenomenal results.” In the first five weeks of its release, her novel had sold over 500 copies, and it now has hundreds of reviews on Amazon - many of which detail how they were drawn to the book based on the setting of the story. In other words, women who are quite like her. While she ultimately ended up fictionalizing much of the plot, the fact that the novel had started as a true recollection of her time living in North Africa helped her pinpoint a niche audience to market her book to: women from the UK who have an interest in Tunisia. When Fiona MacBain started writing her debut novel, Daughter, Disappeared, it was a memoir. “My book will resonate with chefs who are interested in Japanese cuisine by telling them about my childhood in Tokyo, and how cooking was a central part of my family’s dynamic.” "My book will resonate with millennials who are interested in politics by telling them about the time I interned for a senator." My book will resonate with who are interested in by telling them about. Lastly, take a tip from marketing consultant Liz Dubelman and “get to know your audience through positioning.” For example, try filling out the sentence: Solidify your audience with this single sentence What are the themes of your memoir?īiographies chronicle people's lives, but memoirs have something of a "plot" and revolve around specific themes. Likewise, there may be a specific lifestyle represented in your memoir that your ideal reader might share - lifestyles as diverse as 'first-generation immigrants', 'Yoga fanatics', and 'video game obsessives'. A memoir set in Tunisia may appeal to Tunisian readers (or those who have traveled in the region). Your story’s setting can be a great draw for readers. Is your ideal reader interested in a specific location or lifestyle? While gendered marketing should be avoided, and you certainly shouldn’t define your target market by something as fluid as gender alone, you can consider if one gender may be more inclined to resonate with your book. “Blue is for boys and pink is for girls” is an antiquated notion - that being said, you’re generally more likely to have a broader readership of women for a memoir about motherhood. Is your book one that will speak more to retirees or to new graduates? Does gender factor into your target audience? For help check out these examples of memoirs from over eight genres. Are there sub-genres you can identify? The more defined you can make your ideal reader, the more tailored and effective you can make your marketing. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when considering who your target readers are: What genre of memoir are you writing?Ī few popular types are nostalgia, misery and inspirational, celebrity, and sports. Tap into the hook or interest area of your narrative non-fiction to connect with your audience.”Ĭlick to tweet! 5 questions to help you identify your reader If you’ve already finished your book or are in the process of publishing it, and suddenly realize you haven’t given much thought to your target audience - don’t panic! Follow the advice of former marketing manager for Amazon Publishing, Justin Renard: “Start with your subject matter. Define the audience as clearly as you can - who are they, where will you find them, how will they find you, and how will you get them to care about your story?” “Before putting pen to paper or outlining your memoir, it’s important to think about how your story will connect with other people. “Some indie memoir authors do not sufficiently think about what aspects of their story will resonate with an audience,” warns marketing consultant Laura Bastian. Who is your audience? (Photo by Davide Ragusa) But if you would like to successfully market and sell your memoir, you have to think beyond yourself and step into your readers’ shoes. Due to the fact that a memoir is a personal thing, your answer might be, “For myself, to tell my own story” - and that’s wonderful. This is a necessary question that bears repeating in this article as well. In our post on how to write a memoir, we asked authors to consider who they are writing their memoir for.
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