
Now that we know how to use the information of an ideal reader profile, it’s time to develop your ideal reader. You can use someone in your real life, but if you don’t have one, that’s okay too. You can use yourself. That’s totally appropriate. Or you can sculpt a person out of thin air.
You’ve created characters, right? Well, creating your ideal reader is the same thing. The only thing I will say is that you need to emotionally or intellectually connect with your ideal reader. If you’re a more emotional relator, then you need to have an emotional connection with this person, real or not. If you’re more of a thinker who enjoys puzzles, then you need to connect intellectually.
Keep digging deeper until you create the person you want to write books too. And provide as much information about this person as you can because you will be using this in your marketing model.
FIRST LEVEL QUESTIONS: LIFE
- How old is she?
- Where does she live?
- How much does she make?
- Single, married, or “it’s complicated?”
- Kids, pets, or both?
- Dog person or cat person?
- Introvert or extravert?
- How close is she to her family? Why?
- How many friends does she have?
- What is her profession?
- Does she enjoy it? Why?
- What is her biggest life-pain? What is the one thing in her life that keeps her awake at night?
SECOND LEVEL QUESTIONS: FUN
- What does she do for fun?
- What does she dream she could do?
- What hobby would she like to take up?
- What holds her back from doing what she wants?
- What’s her favorite kind of music?
- How much time does she have to devote to this?
THIRD LEVEL QUESTIONS: BOOKS
- What books does she read?
- Who are her favorite authors—besides you?
- What are her favorite (5) books? Why?
- What is her favorite all-time book? Why?
FOURTH LEVEL QUESTIONS: SOCIAL MEDIA
- Where can you find her?
- What device is she typically on?
- Does she have to keep her kids off of it?
- What are her hours?
It’s Your Turn
Now it’s your turn to create your ideal reader profile. You can share them here, or you can keep them to yourselves.
But create them. Some of the following series of articles this year will directly relate to your ideal reader.