The secret to learning about your ideal readers: befriend guides

This month my posts are all about identifying your ideal readers. Today, we are awash in free and accessible resources to help you learn about your ideal readers and engaging them. That kind of access is the critical thing that writers, artists, and creators didn’t have years ago. Travel was difficult, phone calls were expensive, mail took weeks or months, and there was little direct access like you have today with email and social media. Plus, you wouldn’t be able to see the daily life of someone such as a literary agent, or fellow writer, on social media as is common today. At best, you would have a name and address to send a letter, that’s it.

Today I want to discuss an amazing way to get meaningful access to the people who can help you understand not only who your ideal readers are, but how to effectively engage them. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, this is not just about information alone. It is also about a nuanced understanding of the human-centered process of effective communication and building trust.

I want to encourage you to befriend guides.

A guide is someone who has already been down the road you are on, and has actively developed a readership in a manner that you admire. These are people who are living it each day or week. Focusing on them helps bridge the gap between knowledge and experience.

For instance, you can have a goal of doing a downhill bike ride on some trails, and you are looking at a map. You have the information. But a guide will tell you more nuances about the terrains, obstacles, common pitfalls, and the tips and tricks for success. They can also tell you things like, “Oh, be sure to venture 20 feet off the trail at this point, because there is a spectacular view just behind some brush.”

To understand how to engage your ideal readers, fill your life with guides and colleagues. Two obvious reasons:

1. You will learn sooooooooo much.

2. You will likely feel a greater sense of identity, joy, and fulfillment as a writer. Not someone whose business card says, “Writer,” but someone who’s social circle, moments, and conversations are with other writers.

Okay, let’s dig in…