Writing Tips for Beginners

Connect with Readers: Knowing who you’re writing for helps create stories that resonate emotionally. The story becomes more relateable.

Guides Your Writing: It influences your tone, language, themes, and even the structure of your story. The story has a more complete style and does not feel like a first draft.

Improves Marketability: Agents and publishers are more likely to pick up stories tailored to a clear audience. They don’t want to see a MG author writing picture book length stories. They want 80k+ word manuscripts if you write for MG.

Steps to Identify your Audience

1. Define Your Genre
   • Ask yourself: Is your book a romance, fantasy, thriller, or another genre?
   • Look at bestsellers in your genre and analyze their audience demographics.
2. Create a Reader Persona
   • Imagine your ideal reader: their age, gender, interests, and lifestyles.
   • For instance, a YA fantasy reader might be a 15-year-old who loves magic and adventure.
3. Research Reader Preferences
   • Join online communities (like Goodreads, Facebook groups, or Reddit) where readers discuss books. *Hint: I am a part of all of these communities and find a lot of help there.
   • Take note of what readers love and dislike about books in your genre.
4. Analyze Successful Books
   • Read books similar to yours and study the reviews.
   • Identify recurring praises and criticisms.
5. Understand Trends, Not Fads
   • Trends are long-term reader preferences (e.g., strong female leads).
   • Fads are short lived (e.g., vampire romances at their peak). Aim for timeless appeal with a sprinkle of trend awareness.

Tools for Audience Insights

• Social Media Polls: Ask your followers what they like to read.
• Beta Readers: Gather feedback from readers who fit your target audience.
• Surveys and Questionaires: Use tools like Google Forms to ask potential readers what they want in a book.

Balancing Authenticity and Audience Needs

While understanding your audience is essential, don’t lose your voice. Write what you’re passionate about and find a way to align your story with what your audience craves. Authenticity shines through and helps your work stand out.

Happy Reading! And good luck in the New Year!

Read Full Post »