You have to know who your readers are, they say. Then you have to find out how to get to them, they say. Have a picture of your ideal target in your mind, and write for that person. Then write to your reader’s Avatar.
It doesn’t work this way for me. I have a story to tell, and I know it is a good one. Writing for the market is not for me. I feel that a good story will always find an admirer.
My story is about fathers raising boys. My story is for young fathers with young boys. Not to say that we exclude mothers and daughters. Absolutely not. They are welcome to read it. They are also a part of the story.
But how to get to young fathers? Two-thirds of all readers are women. Older men read 3 times more for pleasure than the younger men. For one reason or the other, the younger men are the toughest demographics. So, how to get to them? I am already behind the eight-ball.
I have to get to them through their fathers and their wives. The older men see their youth from the perspective of years, from 30,000 feet. By then, they know what they could have done differently, if anything at all. Their sons are still on the ground level, and still learning. If they wish to. And the grandfathers usually know how to get to their sons to work with their grandsons. If nothing else, just by giving an example. But they first need to see the value of my writing.
The second-worst thing in life is to regret not doing for years something which one could have done easily a long time ago. The first––not to forewarn your loved ones of your mistake.
Dream when a child is born. The rest is just a follow-up.
So, that is my goal. By targeting primarily their wives and their fathers, present my story to the young fathers of boys. They still have time.
