Great insights. Reid Tracy, CEO of Hay House, has also said repeatedly that we need to have a well defined niche audience and not try to reach everyone. This is an article I will keep in my files to refer back to when I am honing my audience.
Wonderful post. Thank you for sharing. I wonder if fiction is increasing and nonfiction struggling because people just want escapism these days (this past decade really). So interesting to see the data and how trends are shaped.
Panio, Agreed, but I'd add another topic that is at least implicit in what you say which I've found worth making explicit. Some of us authors are not trying to reach everyone. For us, defining our niche--to use your term--is the highest priority. After writing a book that is. As an academic and textbook writer, my "niche(s)" were obvious, albeit different for the two audiences. My niche is now far broader but it still is limited--open minded, relatively well educated people who already read thought provoking books.
Absolutely. Also, some nonfiction writers care less about sales and more about a) their book acting as a professional calling card (especially if they are speakers) or b) just getting the word out for the sake of communicating something important to them
This is excellent advice for writing when your engagement isn’t clicking, relevance is what’s off.
Great insights. Reid Tracy, CEO of Hay House, has also said repeatedly that we need to have a well defined niche audience and not try to reach everyone. This is an article I will keep in my files to refer back to when I am honing my audience.
Wonderful post. Thank you for sharing. I wonder if fiction is increasing and nonfiction struggling because people just want escapism these days (this past decade really). So interesting to see the data and how trends are shaped.
Yes, great point. I think the desire for escapism is definitely also powering fiction’s recent rise.
Panio, Agreed, but I'd add another topic that is at least implicit in what you say which I've found worth making explicit. Some of us authors are not trying to reach everyone. For us, defining our niche--to use your term--is the highest priority. After writing a book that is. As an academic and textbook writer, my "niche(s)" were obvious, albeit different for the two audiences. My niche is now far broader but it still is limited--open minded, relatively well educated people who already read thought provoking books.
Absolutely. Also, some nonfiction writers care less about sales and more about a) their book acting as a professional calling card (especially if they are speakers) or b) just getting the word out for the sake of communicating something important to them
That, of course, is me 😌
This was a great piece, Panio. Thanks!