Our guest today is Fauzia Burke, the founder and president of FSB Associates, an online publicity and marketing firm specializing in creating awareness for books and authors. She’s the author of Online Marketing for Busy Authors (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, April 2016). Fauzia has promoted the books of authors such as Alan Alda, Arianna Huffington, Deepak Chopra, Melissa Francis, S. C. Gwynne, Mika Brzezinski, Charles Spencer, and many more. A nationally recognized speaker and online branding expert, Fauzia writes regularly for the Huffington Post.
I am passionate about helping authors navigate the ever-changing landscape of online marketing. I hope every author takes the time to find and connect with their audience in a smart and strategic way.
For online marketing, book publishing, and social media advice, follow Fauzia on Twitter, Facebook, and on her blog.
How to Build an Audience for Your Novel
As authors, it can make us feel good to think our books are for everyone. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The more work we do to identify our niche audience, the better books we can write. We can save time and improve our community building and marketing efforts when we can describe our specific readers—those genuinely interested in what we have to say.
Nonfiction writers have it a little bit easier than fiction writers. Nonfiction authors can ask two questions to really understand their audience: 1) What problem am I hoping to solve with my book? 2) Who does my book help? For the fiction writer, it’s a more difficult process, yet equally important. You might be wondering: How can I know my audience if I haven’t even started my book yet? To that I say this: You know more than you think you do.
Here are the best ways to figure out your audience.
Determine what demographics you do know. Guess their age range, gender, and geographical region.
Describe your book. What themes will your book have? Characters? Plot summary? Areas of interest? Time period? By thinking about these main features of your book you also might be using words that aptly describe your audience. [Read more…]
