You have to target a market. You can’t shoot for everyone. That’s the topic of my latest post over at Writer Unboxed:
The Marketing Paradox: Start Small to Get Big
Also check out the comments for a few points on how to research your target market and what communication strategies might be most effective in reaching them.
Click here to read the full post and comments.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
I saw the post over on WU, and you’re so right about it. There’s nothing for an audience to grab on to if your target is too general.