Find an Audience in 9 Great Steps

When I meet a prospect for the first time, I always ask four questions. The second one is, “Who is your target audience?”

In many cases, the prospect will say, “everybody,” to which I respond, “Well, no book is for everyone. The widest read book is the Bible, and not everybody reads it.”

Usually, the prospect gets a little more specific, but every once in a while, they need help determining who they should target when they write their book.

This is important because when the audience is undefined, the author tends to include too much information and too many stories to try to relate to everyone. The end result is the book relates to no one.

So, a ghostwriter needs to help find the audience because, among other reasons, it helps identify the whole point of the book, it increases reader engagement and improves future marketability, which in turn increases the likelihood of success.

I tell prospects they can always go wider later, but real success comes from having as narrow an audience as possible to start. The narrower the audience, the clearer the message. The clearer the message, the stronger the audience connection. The stronger that connection, the greater the impact.

So, here are nine ways a ghostwriter can help a prospect narrow the audience.

1. Ask “Why do you want to tell your story?” This is the first question I ask because it establishes a foundation. The answer I get often indicates the audience. The woman who married a psychopath wanted to help other women avoid her pitfalls. The gang member who found out late in life that his brother who stayed on the straight and narrow was the better way to go now wants to reach at-risk teens and stop them before they join gangs. The therapist who simply wanted to leave a legacy for his family.

In each case, the audience is apparent: other women who are with psychopaths, gang wannabes, and the kids and grandkids.

2. Ask “Who needs to read this story the most?” The group that the author thinks will receive the greatest benefit usually is the strongest audience. In many cases, the author is familiar with that group.

In my above examples, the woman is no longer married to the psychopath. The gang member is no longer in a gang. The therapist is still part of his family. 

Here are some other examples: A cancer survivor’s memoir might be aimed at newly diagnosed patients. A business book on how to market during a pandemic might best serve younger marketers who survive the pandemic. A leadership book might be most useful to middle managers.

3. Create the profile. If a client (and I say client because a ghostwriter is going to want to lock in this person before doing what I’m about to suggest) has no idea, a ghostwriter can help build a profile to find that ideal audience.

All demographic, geographic, and financial categories are fair game: age range: occupation, education level, income level, city/county/state/country of residence, hobbies, family size, etc.

Also, consider more conceptual categories: major challenges, aspirations, reading habits, emotional needs, level of offense taken at coarse language or graphic sex/violence.

4. Analyze comparable books. This is a follow-up question I sometimes ask. Since there’s only seven basic story plots, they’ve all been written before, so it’s a good idea to study similar books and learn who those audiences are.

A professional ghostwriter or a prospect can study Amazon categories and reviews, reader comments, marketing copy, book covers, author websites, and social media postings that mention those comparable titles. This helps identify who is already buying, reading, and discussing similar books.

5. Gather direct feedback. A ghostwriter, client, prospect, or third party can conduct interviews and surveys to discover the audience. 

Potential interview subjects could include friends and family, customers and clients, groups the author or ghostwriter suspects could be the target audience, colleagues, members of relevant organizations and associations, or subscribers to a publication or social media feed.

There’s almost no limit to the questions that could be asked. I like “What problems keep you up at night?” “What books have helped you?” “What information do you wish you could find?” and “What unique aspect of (subject) would you want to read more about?”

The answers can clarify an audience’s needs, resulting in identifying the audience.

6. Identify the problem. Books succeed when they address a specific problem. Identify the problem and you’ll find the audience.

If the first question (Why do you want to tell this story?) doesn’t reveal the problem the author will address, the ghostwriter can help by asking follow-up questions such as “What frustration do you imagine your readers will face?” “What questions are you trying to answer?” “What transformation are you offering your readers?”

The clearer the problem is defined, the easier to define the audience.

7. Ask, “What are your longterm goals?” Different goals require different audiences, so asking what the prospect wants from the book can help determine the appropriate audience. When I first meet a prospect, the fourth I ask is similar: What does success look like for this project?

If the response I get is about book sales, I set them straight immediately by reminding them how difficult it is to make money this way. If they want to use the book to land speaking engagements, build a client list, leave a legacy, demonstrate thought leadership in their industry or field, or advocate for some cause, they need to understand that each goal has a different audience attached.

8. Tap into expertise. There’s a reason people are told to write what they know, whether that’s personal experience, knowledge, observations, emotions, expertise, or understanding human nature. There’s more detail, more stories, more interesting experiences, and all of that leads to the author coming across as authentic, and authenticity is hard to fake. Authenticity comes from writing from experience, not assumption.

Therefore, a ghostwriter can remind a prospect to write for a group they truly know, not a group they want to join. Those groups could have shared similar life experiences, overcome similar challenges or obstacles, and answered those philosophical questions the prospect has asked.

9. Ask, “If only one person could read this book, who would it be?” The answer frequently gets to the emotional heart of the story the prospect wants to tell. Once that single individual is identified, create the profile (see No. 3) to find the group(s) he or she is in.

One of the hardest lessons for authors is understanding that a narrow audience strengthens the book and expands its impact. A book written for a clearly defined audience will feel more personal and authentic, and the story will be more compelling and memorable.

Feel free to read and check out my other posts related to ghostwriting. Go to https://leebarnathan.com/blog/