Who is Your Ideal Reader?

Last winter, some in the 40+ person crowd at Brazos Bookstore who showed up for my book launch were people I’d expected: primarily long-term friends from the 25 years I lived in Houston.

But then there were others. A twenty-something who had just come out as queer. Preschool and elementary school teachers who had taught my sons decades ago. A school librarian who leads a faculty LGBTQ+ group at the high school my sons attended, the school where I’d been invited to speak the next day to faculty and students.

“Who’s your ideal reader?”

“Why are they coming to a book like yours?”

“What do you hope they will take away from reading it?”

These are questions I ask every writer I work with.

These are important questions for you to ask yourself as you embark on your book project and they’re also important to revisit as you draft and revise your manuscript and prepare to pitch.

Answering these questions will help you discern which scenes to include in your book—and which to leave out.

Not sure how to make those decisions?

Grab my e-book Behind the Scenes: An Insider's Guide to The Only Way Through Is Out to find out.

Understanding who your ideal reader is IS important AND—sometimes the people who connect with your book surprise you.

Like the young male reporter who interviewed me for a national LGBTQ+ publication: “I couldn’t stop reading your book,” he said.

Like the high school students in the LGBTQ+ club at my son’s school who implored their faculty sponsor to invite me to speak with them IMMEDIATELY.

I hadn’t thought high school students would be interested in my midlife coming-out and coming-of-age story.

I hadn’t imagined that men would necessarily connect with my story.

Understanding who your ideal reader is matters—and sometimes the demographics of your other readers will turn out to be a pleasant surprise!