Your Family is Not Your Target Audience: A Guide for Authors
One of the most important lessons to learn as an author is this: your family is not your target audience. While it might feel natural to rely on family and friends for support—and they might even be your first readers—you need to plan for what comes next if you want to achieve long-term success.
Family and friends can offer encouragement, feedback, and maybe a few initial sales, but they can’t sustain your author brand. If you truly want to thrive, it’s time to move beyond the comfort zone of your inner circle and connect with your real audience.
Why Family Support is Limited
While having supportive family and friends is valuable, there are key reasons why they shouldn’t be your primary focus:
They Aren’t Always Your Ideal Reader: Your family might buy your book because they want to support you, not because they genuinely connect with your genre or writing.
They Can’t Provide Consistent Growth: Once your family and friends have purchased your book, the well runs dry. Sustaining growth requires reaching people who genuinely resonate with your stories.
Feedback May Be Biased: While family and friends may mean well, their feedback isn’t always objective. Honest, constructive criticism often comes from people outside your personal circle.
Steps to Reach Your Real Readers
Here are actionable steps to help you step outside your comfort zone and connect with the audience that will drive your success:
1. Identify Your Ideal Reader
To attract the right people, you need to know who they are. Define their:
Age
Reading preferences
Pain points or interests related to your book’s genre
Lifestyle
The more specific you are, the better you can tailor your message and books to their needs.
2. Conduct Market Research
Understanding your readers is critical. Use these methods to learn more about them:
Social media polls or surveys
Engagement insights from platforms like Instagram or Goodreads
Feedback from book clubs or reading communities
3. Build an Online Presence
Your online presence is your virtual storefront. To connect with your readers:
Share valuable content, such as writing tips, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or book excerpts.
Engage authentically with your followers through comments, direct messages, and posts.
Use platforms where your ideal readers are most active.
4. Network Strategically
Collaborations and connections can help you grow your reach. Consider:
Attending book fairs, author events, or writing workshops.
Partnering with bloggers or influencers who cater to your genre.
Joining online groups where your readers hang out.
5. Create a Marketing Plan
Develop a strategy to consistently reach new people. Effective tactics include:
Running targeted social media ads.
Offering free chapters or short stories to attract new readers.
Creating email campaigns to nurture and retain your audience.
6. Focus on Relationship Building
People buy from authors they trust. Build genuine connections by:
Responding to reader questions and comments.
Sharing personal experiences that your audience can relate to.
Showing gratitude and celebrating your readers’ milestones.
Take Your Author Impact Further
Family support is a great start, but true success lies in reaching people who need what you offer. By understanding your target audience and building meaningful connections, you can grow a thriving author platform.
For more tips and resources on how to connect with your audience and build a successful author brand, join the Authors Impact Hub. Our community provides practical advice, tools, and strategies tailored to authors just like you. Let’s make an impact together!
