{"id":784,"date":"2010-04-10T05:38:40","date_gmt":"2010-04-10T13:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=784"},"modified":"2010-04-10T05:40:57","modified_gmt":"2010-04-10T13:40:57","slug":"attain-greater-success-by-writing-for-your-audience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/publishingblog\/?p=784","title":{"rendered":"Attain Greater Success: Write For Your Audience"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve emptied my first box of Catscapades<\/em> books. Don\u2019t you love experiencing the milestones in your writing career? I\u2019ve been enjoying them for over 35 years and I still get a thrill when a new book comes out or I find a new outlet for my books, I\u2019m invited to do a book signing, I get a positive review and so forth. I guess the thrill never wears off.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s a good thing. I remember when A.S. Barnes (a publisher with offices in New York and London) published my first book in paperback and hardcover. I was really excited to be a published author. And it took a bookstore owner to bring me back to the reality of my profession. It was during a book signing at his open-air bookstore that he asked me, \u201cWhat are you going to write next?\u201d<\/p>\n

I was taken aback for a few minutes. I was so busy basking in the glory of my accomplishment that I forgot to look to the future. Of course, there is life after a book. And I had to admit that I had no idea what I would do for an encore. The bookseller said, \u201cWe need a good book on the local history. People ask for one all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

And that set me on a five-year path toward self-publishing (establishing my own publishing company). I did the research and wrote the 300-page The Ojai Valley, An Illustrated History<\/em>. And then I established Matilija Press in order to produce it. I sold that book locally, as well as to individuals and libraries throughout the world, for over twenty-five years. <\/p>\n

Today, I have 31 published books to my credit and I\u2019ve had many hundreds of my articles published in a variety of publications. And still, there is a thrill with each achievement, triumph and highlight along the way. <\/p>\n

But what pleases me the most is that I please my audiences. I love it when a reader says, <\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t put your memoir, Quest for Truth<\/em>, down.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI learned so much from The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em>.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cCatscapades<\/em> is absolutely charming and heartwarming.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI hosted a most successful luau, thanks to your book, The Mainland Luau<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish I\u2019d read your book before I made so many publishing mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you for writing this book.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you frequently receive comments like these? Have you been successful with your book or your article submissions? If not, maybe you are not writing for your audience.<\/p>\n

One of the main mistakes I see writers make is that they write what they want to say without regard for their audiences\u2019 needs and desires. I advise clients and students to keep their audiences in mind every step of the way while writing their novel, memoir or nonfiction book or article. <\/p>\n

To learn more about me, my work, my book and course offerings, visit my website. You can order books here, too:
\n http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com<\/a> or at amazon.com. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve emptied my first box of Catscapades books. Don\u2019t you love experiencing the milestones in your writing career? I\u2019ve been enjoying them for over 35 years and I still get a thrill when a new book comes out or I find a new outlet for my books, I\u2019m invited to do a book signing, I […]<\/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