I recently did an editorial assessment for a manuscript that was caught between MG and YA. Most of its elements would set it in the MG category except for the main character’s age, which was eighteen to twenty over the course of the story arc. While writing up the editorial report, I decided that target market would be a good topic for this week’s article, as identifying and delivering to your target market is a crucial factor when it comes to the placement of your book in retailers and its following success.
Now, I want to make the point that having a first draft with a blurred target market is not a bad thing. The revisions may be more extensive than otherwise, but the draft may have been completed more quickly than otherwise. You can implement target market considerations at any point in your process.
Understanding Your Target Market
Identifying your primary target market is not just about demographic details. It’s about understanding their expectations, interests, and the themes that resonate with them. This understanding can significantly influence your writing and revising, whether you’re penning fiction or nonfiction.
Revising for Target Market
One of the beautiful aspects of writing is the flexibility it offers. For example, if you lean more toward the discovery writer side of the spectrum, you can start by writing the story that’s vivid in your mind, and later, through revisions, tailor it to more closely align with your target market. This approach allows you to maintain your creative integrity while also ensuring your work resonates with the intended readers.
Building a Rubric for Targeted Writing
Alternatively, if you’re more of a plotter, or have a clear type of book in mind, consider constructing a rubric based on your target market before you write. For instance, if you aim to write an adventure book someone like your ten-year-old son would enjoy reading, you can do middle grade target market research to help develop the characters and the plot. You can nail down the age your protagonist should be, what themes are appropriate for the age group, etc.
The same principle applies to nonfiction. Write the book if you have a good grasp of the information you want to provide, then revise with consideration to target market. Or, if you have a solid idea of who it is you want to help by sharing your expertise, get specific with the target market while outlining. For example, if you know you want to write a book for women who want to expand their side hustles into their full-time business/primary income stream like you did, research the expectations of those readers and build yourself a rubric before drafting (with components like anecdotes, consideration of societal factors influencing women, how women digest information, what pain points women deal with when expanding their side hustle, etc.). The importance of understanding and appealing to your target market cannot be overstated. Whether through revising a vibrant draft to better suit your intended target market or crafting a story with a specific reader in mind from the outset, the key lies in aligning your creative vision with the expectations and preferences of your readers.
Want help revising for your target market or building a rubric to help you write for your target market? Visit PassKey Publishing’s website, where you can request an editorial assessment for your completed draft, or submit a contact form requesting me to build a rubric for you to work with while you draft.
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