{"id":694,"date":"2010-01-07T06:32:28","date_gmt":"2010-01-07T14:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=694"},"modified":"2010-01-13T06:00:40","modified_gmt":"2010-01-13T14:00:40","slug":"how-to-attract-readers-for-your-writing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=694","title":{"rendered":"How to Attract Readers For Your Writing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you alienating your readers? Does your message or your way of presenting it turn off the very people you hope to attract? How do you know and what can you do about it?<\/p>\n

What are some of the clues that you are turning readers off?
\n\u2022\tYou can\u2019t find a publisher.
\n\u2022\tYour book sales are down.
\n\u2022\tReaders avoid remarking about your book.
\n\u2022\tYou\u2019re not getting book reviews.
\n\u2022\tYour articles are continuously rejected.<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s time to review your writing techniques, skill, topic and presentation.
\n\u2022\tAre you writing with clarity?
\n\u2022\tIs your topic popular with any group of people?
\n\u2022\tAre you promoting to the right audience?
\n\u2022\tAre you coming on too strong with your opinions?
\n\u2022\tDoes your material come across as weak\/unconvincing?<\/p>\n

If you are not getting the response you desire or expect, maybe it is time to reevaluate your writing, your style, even your mindset. A good tool for helping with this process is my ebook The Author\u2019s Repair Kit, Heal Your Publishing Mistakes and Breathe New Life Into Your Book<\/em><\/strong>. http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/author_repairkit.html<\/a> <\/p>\n

Among other things, this book will help you to determine your true audience, where to locate them and how to approach them. If you don\u2019t think this is an important aspect to the success of your book, you need a reality check. <\/p>\n

I think that many of us produce books primarily to help others\u2014to teach, to share, to make a difference. And for some, it becomes a crusade to change minds. I mean, how else are we going to help the uninspired, overeater, alcoholic, grieving, hate-filled, abused, abusing or ill reader? How else can we change people and change the world?<\/p>\n

What we sometimes forget or don\u2019t comprehend is that many of these people do not want to change, won\u2019t go in search of help, don\u2019t trust unknown authors, aren\u2019t ready to accept assistance, don\u2019t want to do what it takes to change or can\u2019t or won\u2019t read. Sometimes it isn\u2019t the message itself, but the way it is presented that turns off readers. Everyone has his comfort zone and most people are content to stay within it rather than venture out into unknown territory on an off chance that their life will actually change.<\/p>\n

Sure books that promise wealth, health and a great figure\/physique, are popular. Can you guess which ones are read? Not the book by an unknown author designed to transform the hardcore junk food junkie into a lean vegetarian. Probably not the one that teaches good eating habits for the anorexic. Probably not the one about money-saving techniques by the author who collects state aid\/welfare.<\/p>\n

If you are writing on behalf of a cause\u2014you\u2019ve launched a personal crusade through your writing\u2014stop to think about your audience.<\/p>\n

\u2022\tWho are they?
\n\u2022\tWhere are they?
\n\u2022\tWhat do they want\u2014not what do they need\u2014what do they want?
\n\u2022\tHow do they want to see it presented?<\/p>\n

How can you best accommodate this audience? This is the attitude that will sell your articles and your books. <\/p>\n

But you might say, \u201cI have a meaningful message\u2014something of value to teach and to share. If I give them what they want, they won\u2019t learn anything new\u2014they won\u2019t improve and or grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

My entire career has been devoted to nonfiction writing. This includes informational articles and books, self-help, how-tos, reference books, etc. I, too, have what I believe are important messages to share and valid perspectives to teach. How do I make these points with an audience who may not be ready to hear them? I embed them in the stuff they can accept and that they want to know about. Sneaky, huh? And you might be surprised at the number of readers who come back to me months or years after reading one of my books and say, \u201cI just re-read your book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book,<\/em><\/strong> and notice that you recommend writing a book proposal as a first step to writing a book. I never thought of doing that. What a good idea. I wish I\u2019d done that with my first book. I would have saved a lot of time and steps in getting it published.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes a long-time client will come to me with a question, \u201cHow can I get my book reviewed?\u201d I will refer them to the section in my book on getting book reviews\u2014something they paid no attention to the first time they read it.<\/p>\n

These people may have purchased the book primarily for the information about book promotion or to use the section on how to self-publish your book (establish your own publishing company) and they completely disregarded or overlooked the parts of the book that rested outside their self-imposed, current comfort zone.<\/p>\n

So my message to you today is, if you are writing articles or you are working on a book, make sure that you are writing the right piece\/book for the right audience. If you have a published book that isn\u2019t doing well, maybe it\u2019s time to rethink your marketing campaign. I recommend my book, The Author\u2019s Repair Kit<\/em><\/strong> in your process of refocusing. It features a handy, step-by-step program for breathing new life into a faltering book.<\/p>\n

See all of Patricia Fry\u2019s books here: http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Are you alienating your readers? Does your message or your way of presenting it turn off the very people you hope to attract? How do you know and what can you do about it? What are some of the clues that you are turning readers off? \u2022 You can\u2019t find a publisher. \u2022 Your book […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t