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It's so easy today for anyone to write a book, a
multitude of people are doing it, some anticipating fame and fortune. With
desktop publishing and eBooks, the mechanics are simple. However, there's more
to a book than mechanics. Just as we ask ourselves while preparing a speech,
"Who cares?" we should ask ourselves as we prepare to write, "Who
cares?" Who will be interested in reading this book after it is finished
and ready for market? What is my "niche market," those people this
book is meant for--my "target audience"? For example, our book, From
Book Signing to Best Seller: An Insider's Guide to Conducting a Successful
Low-Cost Book Signing Tour, is specifically for emerging authors,
publishers, and publicists. Other books, like 101 Ways to Improve Your
Communication Skills Instantly, are meant for a general audience--though we
sometimes get comments like, "My husband should read this book!" It
has been said to improve communication skills in the bedroom as well as the
boardroom. Even if your book is designed for a general audience, you should know
the segments that make up that audience and deal with their special interests in
your topic.
Writing a book is hard work, requiring personal discipline, imagination, and
perseverance. The payback may take years to be realized. Just as we coach
executives to think of their audience when preparing a speech or a report, we
encourage you to envision your reader before beginning to write. In that way,
you can "speak" directly to the interests of a segment of the
population. Rather than using a "shot gun" approach to relate to
everyone, consider a series of books, each aimed at a specific target. Series
sell well.
Think about it--hitting a niche can bring many times more sales than a
broad-brush approach, which is like throwing mud at the wall and hoping some of
it sticks instead of walking over to the wall and pressing some mud onto a
specific spot. The results are much more likely to be successful when you aim at
a specific target.
Who cares about your topic? Find out and writing will be easier and more
rewarding.
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