Hello writers! Let's pitch in and tell all we know about forming and finding YOUR audience. Finding an audience in general seems like persistent work but finding an audience that reads the specific work you do is even harder to come by. What are some of the do's and do not's of looking for an audience? Is e publishing really beneficial when it comes to finding what kind of readers like what you write? Let's discuss!
I have zero personal experience, but this is an article on the subject I've had bookmarked for a while.
Sure, e publishing is one of the most effective ways to reach the audience. Actually, nowadays, people who thirstily seek information use the internet. It depends on one's talent and creativity to reach the audiences he/she likes. besides, and IN GENERAL, good news should reach one day no matter how long it may take.
If I'm trying to publish a story, what I do is look for markets that publish the same genre/type of story that I've written. That's a great way to find your target audience while making a name for yourself. This is the approach I would take. If you're self-publishing, join forums and/or local groups that somehow relate to what you're writing. Talk to the people there. Get some beta readers. Exchange critiques. Things like that can help you find the right people for your work.
You mean finding readers/buyers for a book you're planning on publishing? I'd probably start with something like: 1. Set up a lead-capture page. On it, make your book sound amazing and ask people for an e-mail address so you can let them know when it goes on sale. 2. Create some Facebook ads to send people there. Use authors you're influenced by as interest targets, so if you write stuff in a similar kind of way to Neil Gaiman, target people who like Neil Gaiman. For bonus points, use phrases like 'For fans of Neil Gaiman' on your lead-capture page. There are other ad platforms you can use, but I like Facebook's targeting options. 3. E-mail everyone on your list occasionally to let them know how your book's coming along. This will help remind them who you are. 4. When you've published, send them an e-mail that says 'OMG MY BOOK IS ON AMAZON!!!!!1!' with a link. Or if you're going for trade publishing, 'OMG I'VE JUST GOT AN AGENT!!!!!1!' You could do more stuff, like try different landing pages to see what one works best (which could also be a neat way of testing different blurbs), or give away a chapter or short story in exchange for signing up, or do clever bribery stuff involving them sharing your page with their friends. But you could get something like the above up and running pretty quick.
