Have you just completed your first novel and know that it could be a best-seller, if only you find the right readers? How can you find the type of reader that would be perfect for the subject matter or genre of your book? This article is going to cover how you can identify your target audience. How you can see your novel from the reader's perspective, and discover the most effective ways for reaching out to them. 

If you are going to self-publish your book, then the chances are you do not have the resources for a high-cost marketing campaign. Your main goal should be marketing to the type of reader that is actively looking for a book similar to the one you have written. If you can find a reader that loves your book, then there is high probability they will recommend your book to like-minded readers, and from there you can build a loyal following of readers that will eagerly want your next publication. 

So how can you know for sure who your book is meant for? While you may have a rough idea, the key is to be as specific as possible. If you have a specific description of your ideal reader, (including age, sex, hobbies, interests, and location) the task in hand becomes far simpler. From there you can expand your audience to similar demographics. 

Let's look at an example:
If you are writing a book that is around the subject of yoga for new mothers, you should make it your goal to ensure Lydia knows about it. Lydia is a new mother aged 26 who loves healthy eating and good nutrition. She enjoys cooking and follows Sean Vigue on Instagram. 

If you are writing a literary novel, your ideal reader would be Albert. Albert is 35 years of age and studied English literature at Oxford University; he loves the classics and now works as an English teacher in Northern England. 

Now you have a clear idea who your ideal reader would be, how do you begin to find them?
1. Step into the world of your ideal reader. Where would they go to find their information? What blogs would they read? Which magazines? Which books already on the market are similar to yours? What types of people make up the readership of these books? A little research here would build up a clear picture of your ideal reader. Now, let's look at the author of these books. How do they engage with their fanbase? If they engage with their readers through social media, which posts have the best engagement? Do they have a blog? From your reader's perspective, knowing their interests, which blog would grab your attention? If you know what kind of interaction readers of similar genres enjoy, then you will know exactly how to interact with your readers. Look at what is working with other authors and emulate it, but with your own unique spin. 

 2. Begin to think like your reader. Social media is a great place to begin to understand your potential readers and connecting with them. You can use a tool called Facebook Audience Insights to give you a detailed breakdown of your target audience, demographics, and interests. By searching an author who writes similar genres to yourself, you can discover a wealth of information such as their age, gender, and what other pages they like. You can carry out the same research with platforms such as Twitter and Google.

 3. Once you have a good idea of who your ideal target audience is, where they get their information from and how they behave, what is the next step? So far you have built a good picture of your reader but, at the end of the day, these are still assumptions and these must be tested for validity. Promotional activity is a great way to gain feedback from likeminded readers on your book. By visiting forums and social media groups, you could offer a free copy of your book for an honest review. Websites such as Readers Favourite are also invaluable for getting reviews too. 

Whatever path you choose, to gain and retain a loyal following you have to provide good quality content regularly. That could be blog posts, short stories or engaging with them on Social Media. The most important thing to remember is to think from your reader's perspective, which is something a lot of new authors fail to recognize. You now have the information you need to find your readers which is going to save you time and money on directionless marketing campaigns. Best of luck.