Writing Tip: Target Audience

It’s unlikely that you have a particular reader in mind when you first decide to write a book. Most writers start with “I want to write about . . .” And this approach usually works, if your intended reader is an adult.

Then again, even if you’re writing for an adult reader, you still need to identify your target audience, because determining their interests will help you hone in on where to put your marketing time and money. There’s no point in promoting your Christian romance to erotic romance readers nor is it likely that true crime readers want to read any sort of fantasy.

This is especially true of readers who are not adults: New Adults, Young Adults, Middle-grade, and Children. When you consider writing a story for kids, you need to think about the age of your target audience, the person you want to read your book, as it affects your protagonist, the number of pages in your book, how the story and its sentences are structured, the vocabulary, the levels of violence (and sex!), what point-of-view you use, shapes, both the purpose and tone of the writing to match the audience’s needs and, sometimes, expectations, etc.

Children’s books are the most specific with the age ranging from 0 to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 5, and 5 to 12. Then it moves into Middle-grade readers and Young Adult with three levels within each of these groups. New Adult is a recent category that is aimed at teens who have graduated from high school and are new at experiencing adult responsibilities.

As you move up in age, it becomes more important to consider events that will appeal to those readers. Babies’ and toddlers’ books are usually picked out by adults. The older children begin to have their own interests with Middle-grade readers much more defined in their choices.

If you want your reader to want to read your book, pay attention to who your reading audience is meant to be. What genre will your story fall into? Children will not be reading erotica. Readers into romance are less likely to read military or science fiction! Those who enjoy true crime probably aren’t interested in fantasy.

Do you intend to challenge the typical readers for this genre with your thoughts? Do you want to educate or persuade them? Will you reinforce their beliefs? Are those readers expecting a certain style of writing or formatting?

And please don’t forget that, like adults, kids are different too. Some want to read about fire trucks or girl detectives and others will want to read about princesses or superheroes. They might even, gasp, want nonfiction!

Choosing the Protagonist

Your choice of protagonist is critical to readers of your story and should be someone within that target audience’s age group and/or gender because readers identify with that character. I want to be Kate Daniels or Thorn St. Croix Stanhope or Nell Ingram, even Richard Sharpe or Lucas Davenport or one of the Black Dagger Brotherhood or . . .

Middle-grade and Young Adult readers tend to want to read about protagonists who are a couple of years older than them. Remember how you wanted to be older when you were a kid? If the audience you want to read your book is around twelve years old, your protagonist should be around fourteen. If s/he is twenty-three, then the attracted reader is likely to be in the same age range.

Yes, as C.S. Lakin notes, there are a number of adult readers of middle-grade, young adult, and new adult books, however you can’t let that worry you. Write to the age of your character. No matter who else may read it.

Once You Know the Age

Age has nothing to do with genre.

Once you know the age of your primary character, you want to write to the age of your audience, using a writing style, tone, and narrative structure that will appeal to them. And that includes the language you use, the level of violence, your purpose in writing, etc.

Check out existing books in your niche — particularly the bestsellers — stories similar to what you want to write. What’s their style, tone, and/or structure?

Don’t forget your reader’s maturity level as well. Some kids are precocious readers, reading well above their age group. Others may be below.

Those POVs

The point-of-view you use is usually dictated by the age of your primary character — which is determined by who your targeted reading audience is. No, you are not constrained to write everything from that character’s point-of-view alone. Plenty of stories use different perspectives (read more in “Point-of-View and Perspective are Intertwined Yet Distinct“), using different genders, ages, good, evil, etc.

Behind the Scenes of Your Story

Not only do you need to pay attention to the story but you also need to consider the cover for your book, the font size, how many illustrations will be needed, and the metadata in reaching your readers.

Writing is . . .

. . . a lot of work . . . yeah, you already know that one, lol. What the posts on “Writing” are intended to do is explore the various mechanics of writing from plots to points-of-view to structure to character development to genres to voice to target audience to book types to character or story arcs to back stories to plot devices to themes to diction to copyright to flashforwards to flashbacks to framing the story or devices to memes to tropes to pace to perspective to settings to show versus tell to social context to continuity to storyboards to style to language to style sheets to syntax to tone to tropes and more . . .

It’s an evolving conversation, and sometimes I run across an example that helps explain better or another “also known as”. Heck, there’s always a better way to explain it, so if it makes quicker and/or better sense, I would appreciate suggestions and comments from anyone on some aspect of writing with which you struggle or on which you can contribute more understanding.

If you found this post on “Target Audience” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates. You may also want to explore “The Fictional Word Count of Books“.

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Target Audience
Writing, Marketing
Definition: The people you want to read and buy your book. POST CONTENTS Adult New Adult Young Adult Middle Grade Children
Adult	Definition: Most of the books written today are targeted at adults. Erotica is very definitely aimed at adults.
14 to 90
Return to top or post contents	40,000–110,000 words long
New Adult	Definition: Aimed at teens who have graduated from high school and are new at experiencing adult responsibilities, filling the gap between YA and contemporary romance, currently experiencing some kind of monumental first: first love, first time away from home, or first real job, first sense of adult responsibility, but is also appealing to those of us who look back on that era of our lives with nostalgia, smiles, or regrets. New Adult is also considered a subgenre, mostly commonly in romance. A.k.a. NA Credit to: Angela
Late teens to mid-20s	Definitely after high school.
Return to top or post contents	60,000 to 85,000 words long 70,000 to 100,000
	Characteristics
	Focuses on success and survival including first jobs, starting college, starting new families, friendships post-high school, military enlistment, financial independence, living away from home for the first time, empowerment, loss of innocence versus high school themes such as popularity and acceptance Many protagonists are in college Plots are more dramatic with soap-opera-like plots Often uses first-person narrative, sometimes alternating with his-and-hers first person points-of-view
	Examples
	Allison Rushby’s The Heiresses series is historical Mari Mancusi’s cyberpunk Tomorrow Land Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Wait For You series Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series Erin McCarthy’s True Believers series Ryan Ringbloom’s Flaw
Young Adult	Definition: Explores the character’s introduction and integration into an unfamiliar world, focusing on the protagonist’s experiences and self-reflection as they come to find their place within it. A.k.a. YA
13–18	YA can be further broken down into: A young Young Adult — 13–15 (middle school) — has cleaner content Young Adult An older Young Adult, a.k.a. Mature Young Adult, — up to 18 but not in college — has a more edgy story
Return to top or post contents	50,000 to 75,000 words long Mature Young Adult: 60,000 to 90,000 words (This longer length must be warranted by the content. It is best to keep these novels in the 70,000 to 80,000-word length.) Fantasy can be longer, as it requires more complex worldbuilding.
	Characteristics
	Profanity Graphic violence, including abuse and other traumatic experiences such as drugs and alcohol, suicide, etc., are permissible, and must reflect the maturity of the reader Additional themes may include teen experiences as they transition to adulthood Romance is allowed, but not eroticism Lots of self-reflection Often told in first person point-of-view from protagonist’s perspective Prose is more emotional Sentences run on or stop. Abruptly.
	Examples
	Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games “follows protagonist Katnis Everdeen, who begins to explore the world beyond her district and ultimately comes to inspire a revolution within it” John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars has a sixteen-year-old protagonist that focuses on her experiences, how she processes those experiences, the decisions she makes, and the strength that she builds by the novel’s conclusion Veronica Roth’s Divergent Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows refers to sex and prostitution as well as graphic violence Robin Roe’s A List of Cages includes abuse and traumatic experiences Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series is steamy
Middle Grade	Definition: Readers are more independent in their choices and are developmentally moving out of childhood with true adolescence hovering on the horizon. It’s the hardest category, as it covers a broad range of reading and maturity levels. The older children begin to have their own interests with middle-grade readers much more defined in their choices. A.k.a. ‘tween, MG, middle-grade
8–12	Middle-grade can be further broken down into: A young Middle-grade — 8–10 — sweet or horror with a lesson or message Middle-grade An older Middle-grade — 12–13 — more intense action and conflict with complexity, action, and edginess. Do consider the maturity level of your reader as well as their chronological age, as there are “degrees of maturity in both MG and YA novels that’ll appeal to the younger and older sides of the middle-school crowd” (Key).
Return to top or post contents	In general, 30,000–50,000 words long There can be different ranges depending on lower or upper middle-grade as well as historical or fantasy novels that require more worldbuilding and/or plot. Middle-grade Fantasy: 65,000–85,000 Young Middle-grade: 15,000–25,000 Middle-grade: 25,000–45,000 Upper Middle-grade: 45,000–65,000
	Characteristics
	No four-letter words No graphic violence Romance is limited to crushes and first kisses Typically voiced in the third person Characters typically react to what happens to them within their immediate world with a focus on friends and family, on physical changes, experiences at school, and a growing awareness of the world at large Focuses on real-life situations — not self-reflection Use simple, clear language, but don’t dumb it down! Protagonists are typically one to two years older than the intended reader
	Examples
	J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, in which the characters’ internal conflicts are typical of what readers of this age group find in their everyday life, like loyalty when forming friendships and dealing with bullies Louis Sachar’s Holes is scary and dark with a happy ending Jenny Han’s Shug includes a crush and an innocent kiss Rick Riordan’s protagonists in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series are responsible and confident Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events series R.J. Palacio’s Wonder series Tony DiTerlizzi’s The Spiderwicke Chronicles and Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid series use interior illustrations
Children	Definition: The target audience for children’s books cover a range of ages and complexities. They are written to entertain and/or teach them, from their ABCs and 123s to right from wrong, how to react to new things and new people, figure out how to handle it all, and more. Fairy tales and fantasy encourage children’s imagination. Keep in mind that babies’ and toddlers’ books are usually picked out by adults.
5–12 (School age)	Definition: The first book a child reads by him- or herself and begins to build confidence, continuing the transition from picture books to fiction. A.k.a. early chapter book, young fiction
Return to top or post contents	48–64 pages with 800–1,200 words Nonfiction can be up to 48 pages in length, or about 2,000 words of text.
	Characteristics
	A character with a strong voice and sounds like kids or speaks to kids in their language The plot should include a series of memorable events Includes more vocabulary than easy readers, but still short books with short chapters Illustrations still aid the reader in understanding story structure Kids want to read about kids like them or people with concerns similar to theirs
	Examples
	Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass Grimm’s Fairy Tales contains tales of good versus evil, responsibility, morality, happy endings, noting the transition from childhood to adulthood, and introducing archetypal characters C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe Edmund, one of the child protagonists, learns how to distinguish between right and wrong Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Julie Sternberg’s Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie has a plot that comes alive
5–6	Definition: Helps the reader begin the transition from picture books to the early chapter books that encourage a reader to want to read. A.k.a. beginning reader, early reader, easy reader, emerging reader, first reader, kindergarten book, Level 1
Return to top or post contents	48–64 pages with 800–1,200 words Nonfiction can be up to 48 pages in length, or about 2,000 words of text.
	Characteristics
	Uses large simple text with appealing pictures to help break up the text and that clue the reader in to that text Short sentences Lots of narrative structure using rhyme and words that have a common pattern or groups of letters with the same sound Provides moral tales and lessons Encourages kids to learn sight words
	Examples
	David Milgrim’s The Adventures of Otto Collector’s Set includes six stories about Otto the Robot for new readers who are beginning to master sight words and decode words all on their own Molly Coxe’s Big Egg keeps the kids guessing while conveying a message of love and acceptance Tad Hills’ Drop it, Rocket champions books and encourages kids to read for new words Sarah Weeks’ Mac and Cheese is a tale about friends who are as different as night and day, using a repetitive, rhyming narrative Jennifer E. Morris’ May I Please Have a Cookie? is about manners, reminding kids to say please and thank you with humor
3–5 (Preschool)	Definition: Read-aloud books with a variety of language type and quantity that encourages parent-to-child conversations. A book with more words can double as an early reader. There are a variety of books using different styles to encourage a child to read: Concept book expands understanding of an idea, relationship, or theme. A patterned concept book includes illustrated examples of ideas and words. A predictable book help the child anticipate what is coming next with older preschoolers often repeating elements of these stories when the book is reread. A wordless book interprets the stories from the pictures, examining details and expressions carefully. A.k.a. easy or ez early reader, illustrated storybook, instant reader, picture storybook
Return to top or post contents	48–64 pages with 800–1,200 words. Nonfiction can be up to 48 pages in length, or about 2,000 words of text. Picture Books are between 500-700 words (with an average length of 32 pages). Occasionally a picture book will exceed 1,000 words if the story is more complex; this is usually geared toward the upper end of the age spectrum.
	Characteristics
	Short chapters with illustrations and a limited vocabulary Story is told primarily using words that are simple and easy to sound out Rhyming language aids in language development, helping a child to predict what word(s) will come next A blend of text and illustration that carry the story together, both being equally important Engaging, varied, and colorful illustrations Interactivity that encourages participation Identifiable characters Teach a concept or value
	Examples
	Dr Seuss includes great pictures and rhyming language Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are Don and Audrey Wood’s Quick as a Cricket is a picture storybook Lorinda Bryan Caulery’s Clap Your Hands is a participation book Bill Martin Jr.’s Monday, Monday, I Like Monday is a patterned concept book Fiona Watt’s That’s Not My Dinosaur is a predictable book, i.e., it helps preschoolers anticipate what comes next Mercer Mayer’s The Great Cat Chase is a wordless book, i.e., it encourages a reader to interpret the story from the pictures, examining details and expressions carefully, helping them focus on the sequence in the stories
1–3 (Toddler)	Definition: Tells the story using primarily pictures — with illustrations on every page or every other page — with a simple plot — and without subplots or complicated twists. A.k.a. bedtime book, picture book
Return to top or post contents	Measured in number of pages: 16, 24, 32, 40, 48 with 32 being the most typical with a few hundred words to +1,000; it’s trending towards 500–800 words these days. Occasionally a picture book will exceed 1,000 words if the story is more complex; this is usually geared toward the upper end of the age spectrum. NOTE: Nonfiction in the picture book format can go up to age 10.
	Characteristics
	One main character embodies the child’s emotions, concerns, and viewpoint Introduces basic themes that encourage conversation Interactivity can include lift-the-flap and touch-and-feel Educational includes counting, ABCs, colors, shapes, etc. Illustrations tell a story, encouraging children to: Read the pictures Explore the details Discover patterns and sequences Identify with the characterization
	Examples
	Pam Abram’s Now I Eat My ABCs is stuffed with fun, kid-friendly foods Rosemary Wells’ Max’s ABC features a different letter on each page Oana Monroe’s The Colours Book and Ana Bell’s I Know My Shapes display familiar objects that teach children the basics Eric Carle’s Do you Want to Be My Friend Peter Spier’s Noah’s Ark
0–1 (Baby / Infant)	Definition: Tells the story using primarily pictures. A.k.a. board book, concept book, picture book
	32 pages
	Characteristics
	Uses high-contrast images that are bold and simple Rhyming language engages and soothes a newborn Bright pictures of interesting objects will engage six-month and up babies Tactile inclusions such as fur, velvet, anything soft Interactivity can include sturdy board books with rounded edges that the baby can chew, pull, and throw as well as pop-up and lift-the-flap for interactivity
	Examples
	Eric Carle has great graphics Dorothy Kunhardt’s Pat the Bunny as well as her other Bunny books are great touch-and-feel books Loryn Brantz’s Feminist Baby is either hated or loved for its rebellious protagonist Emily Winfield Martin’s The Wonderful Things You Will Be is uplifting and whimsical with hope Nina Laden’s Peek-a-Who? incorporates a peekaboo game with a menagerie of animal-themed questions

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Writing Ideas and Resources on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Target Audience

Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.

“Children’s Literature Characteristics.” Schmoop University. n.d. Web. 19 June 2020. <https://www.shmoop.com/study-guides/literary-movements/childrens-literature/characteristics>.

Chua, Lynn and Raneetha Rajaratnam. “What Makes a Good Picture Book.” <https://www.ecda.gov.sg/growatbeanstalk/Documents/Community%20Partners/NLB/2016%20expert%20series%20workshops/What%20Makes%20a%20Good%20Picture%20Book_Web%20Version.pdf>.

Hudson, Hailey. “4 Major Differences Between Young Adult and Middle Grade Fiction.” The Write Life. 17 July 2019. Web. 18 June 2020. <https://thewritelife.com/young-adult-vs-middle-grade-fiction/>.

“The Key Differences Between Middle Grade vs Young Adult.” Writer’s Digest. 7 Aug 2014. Web. 18 June 2020. <https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/the-key-differences-between-middle-grade-vs-young-adult>.

Kole, Mary. “How to Write Middle Grade Fiction.” Mary Kole Editorial. n.d. Web. 18 June 2020. https://marykole.com/how-to-write-middle-grade-fiction>.

Lakin, C.S. “Why Identifying Your Reading Audience Age Is Crucial.” 25 May 2017. Blog. 7 Jan 2019.

Lauren. “The Ultimate List of the Best Books for Beginning Readers!” Happily Ever Elephants.com. n.d. Web. 19 June 2020. <https://happilyeverelephants.com/home/best-books-for-beginning-readers>.

Lite, Rick. @stressfreepub) “6 Tips for Finding Your Book’s Audience.” 13 June 2017. Web. 7 Jan 2019.

MasterClass. “What is Middle-Grade Fiction?” MasterClass.com. 2 July 2019. Web. 18 June 2020. <https://www.masterclass.com/articles/whats-the-difference-between-middle-grade-fiction-vs-young-adult-fiction#what-are-the-characteristics-of-middlegrade-fiction>.

Maughan, Shannon. “Navigating Middle Grade Books.” Publishers Weekly. 13 April 2018. Web. 18 June 2020. <https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/76625-navigating-middle-grade.html>.

Penn, Joanna. “Writers: 5 Tips on How to Identify Your Target Audience.” The Creative Penn. 13 June 2013. Web. 5 Jan 2019. <https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2013/06/13/identify-your-target-audience/>.

“Types of Books to Read to Young Children.” University of California Cooperative Extension. Ready to Succeed. n.d. Web. 19 June 2020. <https://ucanr.edu/sites/ReadytoSucceed/TypesofBooks/>.

Urban, Diana. “How to Identify a Target Audience For Your Book Marketing.” BookBub. 8 Sept 2014. Web. 7 Jan 2019.

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Pinterest Photo Credits:

Two Different Readers, Two Different Generations, Entrecampos Railway station, Lisbon, Portugal, by Pedro Ribeiro Simões is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr.