Finding an Audience by Writing What You Know - video

Finding an audience for your book is an important step in building your author platform and marketing plan. Sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint your audience, and other times it comes easily. Author Michael R. Crider shares his experiences in identifying the audience for his book and how that sometimes happens naturally when you write from your life experiences. Crider was writing a book for his son, because he wanted his son to know what he went through as an expectant father. But then Crider realized that there weren’t very many pregnancy books in the market for men. So he turned his personal work into the book, "The Guy's Guide to Surviving Pregnancy, Childbirth and the First Year of Fatherhood." Thinking about the audience while writing helped him speak directly to them. His personal experiences enriched the writing because everything he wrote was sincere—the good, the bad, and the ugly. The audience connected with his honesty on a deep level.
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    I agree with you Michael. My first fiction novel is totally based on my own life's experiences and observations... Thank you Sunita
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    Hi Michael, I have always thought, 'no, my experience managing babies sleep patterns wouldn't be of interest to many, and I wouldn't be good enough', but your experience teaches me to write what I know and have confidence in it. Thank you, Giddy
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    Michael I am an obstetrician and dads do go through pregnancy. If first time some are in a daze. I would welcome reviewing your book and have available in my office. Quid pro quo....(!)...I have just finished a manuscript: how a boy with no money becomes a doctor....then my adventures world wide. I would welcome your critique. I am not looking for compliments....just suggestions for improvements. If interested please email me : adbarnesmd@gmail.com Or telephone: 801-891-2341 Thank you. David PS This is my first comment....
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    I agree with Michael Crider on this count. One is able to write a story better the more he/she knows the material. Information naturally enters the story if you know it well. If this information comes from your life experiences, the story will not only be easy to write but will also be realistic. If you're writing a story whose background you aren't familiar with, then endless research has to be done to make the story accurate and to get content for the story. And research is a time-consuming and difficult task. If you're researching the material for your story, you'll have to immerse yourself in the information which means studying numerous amounts of material repeatedly until you know the material well. Only then will you be able to successfully write about it. This can make the writing task daunting. But if you stick to your life experiences, you can make the task much easier. I have tried both types of writing. Several of my short stories are written from my own culture and cultures I am very familiar with. Others are based upon real people's ordeals. These are the types of stories that were well-received by readers. While stories of foreign cultures were not so well-received since I wasn't writing from the heart. Kokab Rahman Author of Some Mistakes are Worth Not Regretting and other Short Stories

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