How do you decide who your audience is, or rather, what age group your writing should be marketed to? I am writing an urban fantasy that covers some pretty tough topics and includes some graphic violence. Not for youngsters, but probably late teens and up. I know the publisher will want specifics of audience appeal. Suggestions for clarifying my audience?
I'm a novice, so take my words with a grain of salt. With games and movies there are usually age restrictions on buying a certain thing, this, as far as I know, is not the case with books. Any child can buy any book, but there are "recommended" children's books and teen's books, etc. So with that in mind, I would research what the group you're interested in reaching out to likes to read. Will late teens appreciate your graphic content? Is it really your job to clarify the audience when it comes to age? I thought that was the publisher's job. Maybe I am wrong. It would however be your job, probably, if you were self-publishing? If you don't want to feel restricted, I would just write the story as the story should be written and let the publisher worry about who it is for.
Look to yourself . If you like it , you might be the typical person that likes the things you like . You can do some research, but at the moment that is restricted to online research. To be honest, your better of writing the stuff you enjoy and hope there is a market for it.
A popular advise is to imagine your 'ideal reader'. Maybe it is a friend, or you can just imagine the person who loves your story. Look who he/she is in age, gender, likes and dislikes. You can also look through Amazon and find books that are comparable to your storyline, and note down the categories these books are marketed under.