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Who Is Your Ideal Reader?

A big part of how to write a book is knowing your reader. Before you get too far into your writing process, do yourself a favor and spend some time thinking about the person who will enjoy your book the most. The person who'll would "get" your humor, be thrilled by the thrilling parts of your plot, and read your book cover to cover. Give your ideal reader a name and make them as fully-fledged as possible. If they aren't fully developed in your mind, you can't keep them in mind while writing and you will get lost. 


For example, for my Venice Trilogy, I called my ideal reader Jennifer. She is 26, lives in Chicago, commutes via the "L" to her job as a project manager. She went to Europe on a school trip and now longs to travel to glamorous destinations and stay in palaces she's never glimpsed. She's had a few relationships and likes a bit of saucy seduction in books, but she doesn't like romance novels. She devours every thriller she can get her hands on.


Get granular. Does your IR have triggers? What words would they have to look up? Are they religious? What religion? What's their favorite movie? All this is important and here's why:


I sent my Ideal Reader Profile (IRP) and the first draft of my manuscript to my editor. Then while awaiting her comments, I started reading reviews on popular books in my genre in online book clubs ...and...well, I freaked out. These reviewers hated certain things and labeled certain things that my story touched on as "Hard NOs." I told my editor I wanted to rip those parts out of my book because I didn't want to offend people. 


"Would Jennifer mind those parts?" was her response. "Not at all," I replied. 

"They're not your ideal reader, so disregard their reviews of books they're reading. You can't please every reader, and if you try, you'll be left with nothing on the page. Those parts stay in."


So I ask again. Who is your ideal reader?


-- Anna Erikssön Bendewald





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