Monday’s planning tip

The more you know about your book’s intended readers and the characteristics of your target market, the easier it will be for you to create a compelling table of contents for your book.

The starting point is to describe your target market in as much detail as possible. You’ll want to identify prospective readers in terms of:

• Age and sex. Are they young or old, male or female?
• Occupation or position. Do they own their own business, or work for someone else? Do they work for a large firm or a small start-up?
• Responsibilities. What are the tasks they perform every day?
• Concerns. What are their frustrations, goals, or problems? What keeps them awake at night?
• Keywords and terms. What terms might they use when searching for assistance?
• Competing books and publications. What books or publications might they frequently consult? What conventions and events are they likely to attend?

The more detective work and analysis that you do during the planning stage, the easier it will be to come up with a title that speaks directly to the needs of your prospective readers and encourages them to buy your book.

Resources
Published & Profitable members can download resources like a Market Segment Planner that can jumpstart your market research.