I've seen a few submission guidelines where they say "include the genre and intended audience". My genre is women's fiction - so um, is my intended audience women? Women of all ages? Ages 20+?? Also, I am to "provide a brief overview of the target market". I have no idea what they are looking for. Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!
You could say that "My ideal reader is a women, liking romance novels and historical settings. She between her late teens to sixties, and will in many cases have a college degree. She probably living a demanding life and reads the book as as mean to recreation and relaxation. " Or any other description you think might fit what you intend. Publishers isn't robots. An honest description will take you far. But i haven't been publish myself so I'm just guessing.
the example given in the Writers and Artists Yearbook 2011 is something along the lines her story is aimed at the same market as the Joanna Trollope books but with a lower class of character or something similar. I am not published yet but this is what I have come up with after reading some other Introductory Letters but in the UK where I am based the form is different to the US no idea about Canada.
I don't think you need to get into a whole lot with this...just say "my recommended readership would be for young adult to older women" or something like that.
Absolutely, why would you want to specify a restricted readership? Women's fiction - adult female 16+
Most agents and the publisher I have spoken to in the UK want to know that you have an idea of where your book will be marketed and what it will be marketed alongside. Some are happy with a short description, others want you to demonstrate more knowledge. I would personally advise the OP to contact anyone he is planning on sending an introduction to. If I don't make mine a children's book it is too short to sell easily.
don't go by general guidelines... follow the ones for each agent/publisher you query... and most don't want that much detail, just the genre...
Maia, most do want just the genre, I just don't know what they are looking for when they ask for target market and intended audience.
in those cases, they usually just mean 'adult' or 'YA'... if it's clear they want more specificity in re audience/market, you can add something short and sweet, such as 'professional women' or 'mainstream' or 'beach-readers' or whatever... but just because they mention that doesn't mean you have to include it or be automatically rejected, y'know... if your summary is good enough, the book highly marketable, they won't care if you don't...
