How to Find Your Ideal Reader

This is the #3 in a fifteen post series, entitled "15 Days to Writerly Awesome in 2015," 

posting on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday of January.

Friday's here, and we've made it to the third post in the quest for Writerly Awesomeness. So far, you've learned how to schedule your writing time and how to be your own critic. Today, we're talking about our readers, because aren't they so pretty? (P.S. I just spent the last twenty minutes blog-stalking my potential readers. I love them already.)

When you're writing your story, who do you picture reading it beside you? Not literally beside you, because that would be weird, so let's think metaphorically. Is your reader a girl or a boy? Does she/he like ponies or scuba diving or political activeness? Which of your characters is this person rooting for? Your ideal reader is a representation of your audience, and serves as a tool for your writing. Here's how to find your ideal reader:

Why You Should Visualize Your Ideal Reader

I'm a people-pleaser. For me, I want everyone to love what I write, like me as a person and have an overall good impression of everything I do. Is this possible? Absolutely not and that's okay. Without an ideal reader in mind, you're left trying to please everyone, and that's unrealistic. Ideal readers are your cheerleaders. They're the ones that read all of your blog posts, wait anxiously for your next tweet and will read your receipts if you let them. (Tip: don't let them read your receipts.)

For my blog, my ideal reader is in fact, a reader; although, most of my posts are geared towards writers. I try to make my posts approachable and fun, so that they'll appeal towards non-writers as well. Informative and entertaining: that's my goal. For my book's ideal reader, you can read the second post in this series. Try writing a list of qualities your ideal reader might possess. What about your writing appeals to him/her?

How to Find Your Ideal Reader

Be specific. Know what your reader will like about your work, and what they won't. An ideal reader can be a constructed idea as well as an actual person. Let's say your ideal reader is your mother. Maybe you think she's ideal because she's going to love your writing no matter what because she's your mom and you're just so awesome. Wrong. Here's a better example: my mother is my ideal reader because she likes romances, but not harlequin, historical novels. She doesn't like cheesy one-liners, so she'll call me out if she sees them in my writing.

See?

Your ideal writer isn't someone who is going to praise your every waking thought. Your ideal reader is supportive, but also constructive. A cheerleader, but also that guy on the sidelines who makes all of the plays and gets really mad when they fail. (A coach? A what?) I digress.

When it comes to finding your perfect reader, you need to imagine someone who shares the vision of your story, but also has his/her opinions. Experiment with multiple readers, but be wary of casting too many. Let your friends read your book, and see who provides you with the best feedback.

DISCUSSION TIME: Who is your ideal reader? Do you find this as an effective tool in the writing process?

What is Self-Publishing, anyway?

Good question, dear reader. Friends and family, strangers and loved ones, I'm self-publishing my book. And I feel like we need to clear up a few things before that happens. First of all, what is self-publishing, anyway? 

I like to think of it as DIY publishing. It's publishing without the whole shebang of an editor and a house. Self-publishing requires writers to become a full-fledged publishing machine: marketer, editor and of course, publisher. The more you work, the more you make. Theoretically, of course.

To help you form a clearer picture in your mind, allow me to explain what self-publishing is not:

Self-Publishing is Not a Last Resort

This little rumor is a big fat lie, folks. With the rise of e-books, self-publishing is booming right now. Not only can you publish in a digital format, but you can also make print-on-demand copies through hosts like Lulu or CreateSpace. And now, there's a crazy phenomenon taking place. 

Writers are choosing to self-publish, before they even query literary agents, actively opting to go it alone. Why is this a big deal? Because now, writers can publish their books the minute, nay, the second they are ready. Writers don't have to wait around for months to see if they get an agent, then the extra years it could take to find a publisher. You can publish right now. Exciting, right?

Self-Publishing is Not a Garbage Heap

Somewhere along the way, there's been a misunderstanding that self-publishers are the writers who "couldn't get published" and therefore, their work is trash. I have a few things to say to this. First of all, there are a million reasons that books aren't chosen for publication, and a book being "bad" is only one of them. Maybe the house is already publishing a book just like yours. Maybe they're not looking for anything in your genre right now.

The possibilities are endless and often tedious. Secondly, bad writing exists. However, it exists in both the traditional sphere as well as self-publishing. It is not a circumstance reserved for the DIY route. Need proof? Okay, here are some A+ self-publishers: Hugh Howey, Ksenia Anske, Ania Ahlborn and Colleen Hoover. Read their stories. I dare ya.

Self-Publishing is Not a One-Man Show

I'm contradicting myself a bit, aren't I? Though it's true that self-published writers need to work ten jobs at once, they also need to reach out to people who can help get the work done. The most crucial role to seek out is a freelance editor, someone who can catch the mistakes before your book hits print.

There's nothing that screams unprofessional more than a book with a slew of grammatical errors. Don't give the naysayers a reason to set your book down into the unreadable wasteland. Besides an editor, a self-publisher should look into hiring a cover artist, a formatter and even a PR contact.

Apart from the technical stuff, self-publishing isn't a one-man show, because there are readers. I know, blows your mind, doesn't it? Get these readers early on. Start a blog, hop on social media and never stop learning.

So you're publishing a book?  Read about how to pick your publishing method here!

Traditional vs. Self Publishing

Ever since I decided to self publish These are the Moments, I've gotten a lot of questions. Mainly, what's self-publishing and okay, so how does it work and when are you going to finish your book, because frankly, that's a universal question that JUST NEVER GETS OLD. (P.S. I'm getting more creative with my answers to that last one. Like, when tap dancing space cows descend from the moon.)

So why self publishing? Or why traditional publishing? Traditional vs. self publishing is the big question these days, with self publishing on the rise. Before we dive in, here's the most important thing to remember: each and every book has a unique calling, and it's your job to figure it out. There is no "right" or "wrong" way. Publishing is what you make of it.

A Brief Glimpse into My Publishing Journey (which has barely started)

My first manuscript — still unedited, waiting to be picked up again — was a middle grade science fiction/fantasy. I could see the whole thing in my head: writing the query letter, including the words "with series potential," landing an agent, selling the book to a publishing house.

I bought the books about how to write a query letter and the ones that list all of the literary agents and what they look for. I was so excited for this process that I could practically watch it like a movie in my head.

When I moved on to my second novel, I found that it wanted to talk right to the reader. For whatever reason, this book was as stubborn as the characters in it. These are the Moments wanted me to take full responsibility for it; should it fail or succeed, I would be the one to handle it all. For me, this is exciting. This makes sense.

Traditional vs. Self Publishing

There are a few key factors to consider when you're choosing your publishing route. Are you an entrepreneur? Are you a marketer? Do you like to work on teams? Do you want to see your book on the shelf? Do you like the idea of distribution? Okay. Got your answers? Good.

Writing is a business. 

Whatever you choose, once the creative, peace love book phase is over, and you're holding an edited, pre-published baby, you gotta sell that ish. For traditional publishing, you've got some obstacles.

First, you have to query. Then your new agent friend helps you sell it to a publisher. Then you get an editor friend and a whole bunch of people. Then, they help you sell it to the world WHICH IS AWESOME. In self publishing, you've got to be all of these people. You are your own little friend. Oh, and readers. LOVE YOUR READERS.

Things to think about: Do you want to a have a team? Great! Just remember, that team gets a big say. A team also means less money. A team means answering to people. Do you want to work on your own? Cool! Just remember you need to reach out to freelance editors, cover designers, formatters, etc. Remember you have to put in 1,000 percent. You don't get to sleep.

It's all about the details. 

With self-publishing, you've got to be everywhere and everything at once. Say you've got the whole platform and cover designer and formatting thing down. Say you get your book out there. Then what? MARKET, MAN. I cannot stress enough how important social media/marketing is for writers.

Even in the traditional world, writers are now expected to support themselves on the web. In fact, a social media presence can even help you get published. Think strategy, people. Blogs. Social media accounts. Twitter accounts for your main characters. Freebie short stories to get an audience before the book.

Things to think about: Can you see yourself as a marketing cog? If not, traditional might be the best choice. Remember, either way, you'll need to self-promote.

What's your poison? Risk-wise? 

The thing about writing/publishing is that there's always a risk. (Insert groans of discouragement here.) For traditional publishing, there are levels of risk.

1.  You might not get an agent. Solution? Write another book. Keep querying. Get a freelance editor.
2. You might not get a publisher. Solution? Ask your agent. Write another book.
3. Your book might not sell. This one's a tough blow. Solution? Write another book. Hope like hell that they don't drop you.

In self-publishing, the risk is simple. Your book might not sell. Maybe, you suck at being a one-man team. Maybe, your writing is terrible. Maybe, if you want to move to traditional, no one takes you. Solution? Write. Another. Book. Keep writing until your fingers fall off. Wait, what?

OKAY. What a meaty post this week, huh? P.S. I hate the word meaty. Traditional vs. self publishing is a big choice. Monumental. HUGE. (got that?) No one can tell you what the right choice is. So instead, do the research. Read this post and this one and maybe this one if you're an overachiever.

What do you think? Traditional or self publishing? Leave your comments below! For more writing tips, subscribe to the newsletter.