Matching Your Market

Matching Your Market Several times this week Ive declined advertisers. I know. Why turn down money, right? But they wanted to advertise romance, fantasy and childrens books in FundsforWriters. Nothing against those souls. They are seeking venues to sell their books, and FundsforWriters has a sizeable following. Im actually flattered they come to me with their lovely babies. I write. I get that. But as I try to tactfully explain to them, they arent reaching their audience via my newsletter. FundsforWriters is a sea of writers, all dreaming about one day selling enough of their words to earn a living. They arent signing up to see what other writers are selling. They dont want to buy childrens books, womens fiction, sci-fi or poetry. They want to know how to be a successful writer. They are the competition, not the audience these advertisers seek. You might ask why I sell my mysteries in my newsletters, but they are part of my brand. I fully understand that a gross minority of the readers are not mystery fans, but since Im connected to this readership, I toss my books out there for consideration. Also, much of the readership has seen how Ive traveled from novice to freelancer to struggling author to an agented author to a traditional author who also chose hybrid. Its a journey to learn from. Or at least I hope it is. But it would be an injustice for me to take money from people to advertise their books. And it would be an injustice for me to put advertising in FundsforWriters that doesnt jive with the mission of FFW. The point is, you need to stop and think about who reads your type of book. Then you head out and find them. How? Identify: 1) your genre 2) the age of your reader 3) the geography of your work 4) the time period of your work 5) the gender the book leans toward (it can be both, or one over another) 6) the leaders in your genre Then find places online and in your community that connect somehow to one or more of these traits. Write guest blog posts. Participate in chats. Volunteer to help a cause. Offer to speak at libraries, bookstores and clubs. There are Twitter chats, Google+ interviews, Skype, your blog, professional groups with their forums, and more. Be seen. Be heard. People dont just want books anymore. They want the author, too. Whether you like it or not, you have to become a brand and develop a face, because books are a dime a dozen. But dont waste your time scattering your book anywhere and everywhere. Strategically place it where you think your readership resides. Time is precious. Use it wisely.