Your Book For … Are YOU Marketing to Them?

And are you writing with words, phrases, jargon, examples, stories that are connectible and easily related to? Are you?

Over the 20 plus years I’ve worked with authors … the 40 years I’ve been writing and encourage others to write and publish, it was—and still is—interesting to hear many authors stumble when asked FIVE essential questions:

1. Who is your book for?
2. What’s your target market?
3. What is the benefit your book brings to the reader?
4. Can you summarize your book in less than 15 seconds?
5. Can you reveal the essence of your book in 15 words or less?

And too many CANNOT respond with clarity, or quickly. And now … it’s not a minute or 30 seconds … it’s 15 seconds or gulp, less. Oh, they loved the idea and the art of writing. But, really, “You want me to tell you who is supposed to be reading, buying my book? Me? Where they buy books? What my book will do for them? And now, I have to deliver its essence in just seconds!”

Why yes, that’s exactly what I’m asking … and expect YOU to be able to give a quick and clear response that will get my attention. Can you?

The very first step toward Author Success is to be clear and succinct about who, and what, your reading audience is. The kiss of book death is the response: everybody— It is not everybody.

Are you writing about women?

Are you writing for women? Yikes, it’s a basic category, but it is not just all women (or men or children, et cetera.)—that’s a HUGE ding.

It may be for women … but which women? Young women? Women over 50? Women who have secrets? Women who have the child-bearing clock ticking? Divorced women? Working women? Women who homeschool their children? Women who work at nickel and dime jobs? Women who have had cancer? Women who have had a specific type of cancer? Women who are single and loving it? Women who are single and hating it? Women who are serial lovers? Women who have affairs (or want to)? Women who work in health care? Women who were wild in college? Women who were abused? Women who have deep secrets? Women who are getting married? Women who want to get married? Women who don’t want to marry? Women who want to be kept? Women who are addicted … and to what? Women who were raised in cults? Women who just want to have fun? Women who are hoarders? Women who hate cooking? Women who credit card binge? Women who …

You get the picture. Dive down. Drill deeply. Know who you are writing for to the core of his, her, their fiber. What nuances; what hiccups; what the beliefs are. Imagine having your favorite beverage with them. Who are they; what are they; what are they hopes, dreams, fears; what is their background; what brings them to your topic; what will your book do for them?

I’m not a reader of horror, but I am a huge fan of Stephen King. His book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, is one that I routinely recommend to all of my clients. Some of my favorite words that’s I’ve saved over the years that he wrote:
”If a book is not alive in the writer’s mind, it is as dead as year-old horseshit.”

Here’s my take:
If the reader for the book is not alive in the author’s mind, it’s yesterday’s poop.
And I will add my book to the mix … The Author’s Walk: Finding and Using Your voice to Create Publishing Success … it’s the book that I wish I had hand in my hands when I started writing decades ago. And one that could pick up and rejoice my thinking and writing.

Wake up and think WHO … The WHO is WHO you are writing and publishing for. What is their pain? Your words will ease, soothe, and relieve it. Now write.

With clarity, your writing, and your marketing, is so much easier. And that’s a very good thing. Let’s get your author and pitching act together. What say you?

Dr. Judith Briles started writing notes to her classmates in first grade … and got into “disruptive trouble” from her teachers. She’s now the author of 48 books and counting, still being a disrupter. Her books have won over 55 book awards and been Amazon bestsellers. You can follow her professional side at www.TheBookShepherd.com where she works with writers to become published authors. Listen in to her weekly podcast: AuthorU: Your Guide to Book Publishing at https://bit.ly/AuthorUPodcast

©2025 Judith Briles – The Book Shepherd™ All Rights Reserved