I spoke with a man several years ago who had written 18 books. I was impressed with his productivity and his diligence, until he inadvertently revealed a bit of information he meant to keep hidden: He had sold only 3 books, and feeling dejected, was giving them away.
One of the men in our writers’ guild had written 2 books. But guess what? He had sold over two hundred books within 2 years, and many orders were coming in.
What was the major difference?
The first man didn’t know his audience … if he even had one. He wrote for the love of writing, and there is nothing wrong with that, and just expected people to buy his books. But if a writer wants to sell books ……
The second man had targeted an audience for each book. He wrote both books with that specified group of people in mind. Therefore, it’s accurate to say that he wrote to those people, and his sales verify it.
The following is what an acquaintance said about establishing an audience. “Your target audience is the group of people who would be the most helped or entertained by your book. Your readership might extend past your intended target audience, but the target audience is who you intentionally aim for.”
So, write for the love of writing. Write what you are about passionate about. But also be sure to identify your target audience for each book you write. And make sure you …
Write Creatively.
P & L Publishing 