If I asked you to stand on a stage in front of 10,000 people and say something that every single person in that room would be interested in or care about, you’d probably freeze.
What would you even say?
You’d start second-guessing every word because you’d be trying to make it relevant to everybody.
But if I sat you down across the table from one person you knew really well, someone you understood, someone you could picture clearly, and I said, “Talk to them,” that would feel completely different.
You’d know what they care about, what questions they might ask, what would make them tune out, or what would make them say, “Yes. That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
That is what an ideal reader does for your book marketing.
I’m Jenn Hanson-dePaula, and I’ve spent nearly 20 years helping fiction and nonfiction authors simplify their marketing, connect with readers, and sell more books.
And today I want to make the idea of an ideal reader a whole lot easier, because I think we have made it way too overcomplicated. This will be especially helpful if you’re a newer author and you’re thinking, “How am I supposed to know who my ideal reader is when no one has read my book yet?”
Because you do not need a giant audience.
You do not need years of sales data.
And you certainly do not need some complicated customer avatar with a name, age, zip code, favorite cereal, and favorite vacation spot.
You just need someone you can picture in your mind clearly.
What an Ideal Reader Really Is
So what is an ideal reader? An ideal reader is simply the person you think about when you create social media posts, marketing copy, your sales page, or any of your book marketing assets.
That’s it.
It’s someone you can talk to.
Someone you can picture sitting across the table from you.
Someone who helps you stop trying to communicate with everyone and start communicating with someone.
For me, that person is Rebecca.
When I sit down to write a social media post, an email, a sales page, or really any piece of marketing content, I’m not thinking about thousands of authors.
I’m thinking about Rebecca.
And I’m asking myself things like:
Would Rebecca find this helpful?
Is this something she’s struggling with?
Would she relate to this?
Would this make sense to her?
That changes the way I write.
Because now I’m not performing for a crowd.
I’m having a conversation with one person.
And that is a much easier and less intimidating way to market.
But here’s the thing, our ideal reader is not the only person who is allowed to buy your book.
You are not leaving anyone out or creating some kind of exclusive club.
You’re simply choosing one person to help you communicate more clearly.
That’s a very different thing.
You May Already Know Who This Person Is
And here’s the surprising thing: you may already know who your ideal reader is. A lot of authors get stuck because they think they have to go out and somehow discover this perfect reader before they can move forward with their marketing.
You may not have to.
Your ideal reader might already be someone you know.
It might be a friend, a former client, a beta reader, or someone in your life who already loves the kind of books you write.
And the one that many authors overlook is that your ideal reader might just be a reflection of yourself.
Maybe you wrote the kind of fiction you personally love to read.
Maybe you wrote the nonfiction book you wish you’d had five years ago.
Maybe you understand this reader so well because you’ve been in their shoes.
That can be an excellent place to start.
You don’t need to make this harder than it needs to be.
The goal is to be able to picture a real person clearly enough that your marketing stops sounding like an announcement and starts sounding like a conversation.
What This Looks Like for Fiction
Let’s say you write fiction.
You do not need to know every possible person who could enjoy your book.
Think about one person who loves the kind of stories you write.
Maybe it’s your friend who always wants a mystery where the setting feels almost like another character.
Maybe it’s your sister who loves second-chance romance but hates unnecessary drama.
Maybe it’s you, and you know exactly why you keep reaching for found-family fantasy again and again.
Now you have someone to think about.
So when you’re creating a post, instead of asking, “What should I post about my book today?” you can ask:
What would she love about this story?
What would make her curious?
What kind of character would make her immediately want to know more?
What themes does she always respond to?
What makes her recommend a book to someone else?
That is a completely different starting point.
And it gives you a lot more to talk about than simply posting your cover and saying your book is available.
What This Looks Like for Nonfiction
For nonfiction, your ideal reader may be even easier to picture.
Maybe you wrote a book for someone dealing with a problem you’ve helped people solve before.
If you’re a coach, consultant, therapist, business owner, or speaker, you may already know this person very well.
It could be a former client.
Think about the conversations you’ve had with them.
What were they worried about or confused by?
What had they already tried?
What did they need someone to explain in a simpler way?
Those are marketing topics.
Not because you’re trying to manipulate someone into buying your book.
Because you understand what they need help with.
And that is something you can speak to.
If your book is based on your own experience, your ideal reader might be an earlier version of you.
What did you need to hear when you were in that situation?
What did you struggle to understand or what did you search for?
What would have made you feel like someone finally understood what you were dealing with?
Again, that gives you something much more useful than trying to write for “people interested in leadership” or “women who want to be healthier” or some other huge category.
Why This Makes Marketing Easier
Here’s why this makes marketing easier.
I want you to think about the difference between standing on stage in front of 10,000 people, versus sitting across from one person over coffee.
When you’re on that stage, you start making everything broader.
You take out the specifics because you’re afraid somebody won’t relate.
You water down the language.
You try to sound professional.
You try to make sure nobody feels left out.
And before you know it, you’re not making any point at all. You’re just sounding like everyone else. Because when you’re trying to talk to everyone, you’re actually talking to no one.
But when you’re talking to one person, you can get very specific.
You can say, “I know you’ve tried this.”
Or, “This is the part that’s frustrating you.”
Or, “I know you love this kind of story, so this is what you’ll want to know.”
That specificity is what makes people pay attention.
And here’s the crazy part.
The more specific you are, the more people see themselves in what you’re saying.
Even people who are not exactly like the person you pictured as your ideal reader.
That’s why narrowing your focus does not necessarily shrink your audience.
It actually makes how you communicate and connect with them stronger.
You Are Not Locking Yourself Into This Person Forever
Something that many authors push back on is thinking that talking to an idea reader will lock themselves into talking to that person forever. That makes some authors get nervous.
“What if I choose the wrong person?”
Then change it.
Your ideal reader is not carved in stone.
You may start out picturing one person, and then as more readers find your work you get to know them more.
Maybe a certain type of reader responds more strongly than you expected.
Maybe people keep commenting on a theme you didn’t realize they would connect to.
Maybe your early readers use language you never would have thought to use yourself.
Great.
That helps you get even clearer and more specific.
Your ideal reader can evolve as you learn more.
The point is you don’t have to get it perfectly right before you begin.
You just need to have someone in mind so you can begin.
Because waiting until you have a large audience before deciding who you’re talking to puts you in a strange position.
You need an audience to learn more about your readers.
But you need to communicate clearly in order to build that audience.
So you need a starting point.
This person gives you that.
A Simple Exercise You Can Do Today
To help you get started, here’s a simple exercise you can do today.
Think about one person.
Not a demographic.
Not “women between 35 and 55.”
Not “people who like fantasy.”
Just one person.
Someone real if possible.
Maybe it’s a friend, a reader you’ve connected with, a former client, family member, a younger version of yourself.
Someone you can picture and envision in your mind.
And then ask yourself:
If this person were sitting across from me right now, what would I want to say to them about this book?
What would they be interested in?
What might they ask me?
What would make them curious, make them feel understood or make them want to keep listening?
That person becomes your filter.
The next time you sit down to write a post, write your book description, create your website copy, write an email, think about them.
You’re not trying to impress the internet. You’re trying to connect with one person.
And when you do that well, the right people see themselves in the conversation.
Where to Go From Here
So, where do you go from here?
If your book is still being written or prepared for publication, this is exactly the kind of foundation you want to build and put in place now.
Because once you know who you’re talking to, the next question becomes much easier:
What do I say to them before I have a book to sell?
That’s exactly why I created the New Author Marketing Playbook.
It’s designed for pre-published authors who know they should start marketing their book before launch, but don’t know what that should look like yet.
It walks you through how to start building visibility, reader relationships, and your email list while your book is still in progress, so you’re not waiting until launch day to introduce yourself to everyone for the first time.
You can find the link in the description for this episode.
But whether you use the Playbook or do this on your own, I want you to remember one thing.
Your ideal reader is not a marketing exercise.
It’s a person you can talk to.
And the clearer you can picture that person, the easier it becomes to know what to say.
I’ll see you next time.
