Finding Your Target Audience As An Author

Most authors think that their target audience is:

• people who like thrillers

• young adult readers

• romance fans

However, this is not what directly defines your target audience. These simple descriptions are simply naming a label on a bookstore’s shelf.

What we need to think about is:

• What their emotional needs are

• Their reading habits

• Their shopping habits

Remember: Your genre tells you where your book sits in the store, but your target audience tells you who is going to pick it up.

Try not to focus on age and gender. Why? Because the genre of Young Adult, for example, includes readers from 13 to 45 years old. There are other details at work, such as their specific interests within the genre, that help you narrow your target reader.

• What does your reader want to feel?

• What are they escaping from? (Daily life, a dead-end job?)

• What tropes or endings satisfy them?

For example, does your target reader want a romance that is comfortable and cozy? Or do they enjoy a romantic storyline that involves more twists, turns, and chaos?

Ask yourself: My reader reads this book because they want to feel…”

When trying to find your target audience, online platforms are often the easiest option to gain more reach.

However, as the author, you don’t need to be everywhere. This is why it’s helpful to know:

• Where is your target audience

• What content do they respond to

For example:

• Thriller readers → often gravitate toward fast-paced hooks, twists, and discussion threads

• Romance readers → emotional quotes, character dynamics, and relatability posts

• Fantasy readers → worldbuilding, lore, and immersive content

This portion may take some experimentation. But know it also means trying to put some content about your book on social platforms and keeping track of who responds. This in itself begins to provide you with information about your target audience.

It tells you (based on 10 to 20 interactions at minimum):

• The average age range of your audience

• Where they frequent

• What content they respond to

• Where they shop (based on what they post about books they read and such)

Pay attention to and note:

• Saves

• Replies

• Likes

• Shares

It takes time and effort that pays off in the long run.

Want to learn how to narrow down your target audience? See it here