I have a simple question for you…how well do you know your reader?

Do you know their name?

Do you know where they live?

Do you know what they like?

I did a Guest Post about this on LiveHacked (and I’m lucky to have Nick doing a Post on this very site soon) and wanted to bring the conversation here as well. If you’re going to build an Author Platform that lasts, surely knowing thy reader is important.

Understand Thy Reader = Awesome Author Platform

The most important aspect of any Author Platform is your writing. This gets lost in a lot of what we talk about these days. However, there’s no point in an Author Platform if you don’t improve your craft. However, imagine knowing your readers so well that you create stories you know they will love.

Isn’t this the holy grail of business? Creating something you know will sell.

Some might be saying how they aren’t a business. That what you do is art. That’s fine, but if you want people to buy your book, you’re a business. I’m sorry, but it’s true.

So I ask again, how well do you understand your reader?

You Probably Don’t Know Them

I’m guessing you don’t know them that well. If you do, your Author Platform is more than likely awesome. You probably sell lots of books and get paid vast amounts for speaking. If this is the case you don’t need to read this.

You should be on a beach writing your next masterpiece

For most of us we’re still trying to find our place. One of the most important things in my world is YOU…the reader. I live by this general rule: you can never know your reader enough.

There’s always more to learn, but we must forever strive to learn.  Step forward the Customer Journey

What Is A Customer Journey?

First up, change it from Customer Journey to Reader Journey. That should make you feel more comfortable, and it’s a very important aspect of your Author Platform. I go into this in more detail in my Free Ebook, How To Build an Author House, so for a more in depth read, please download.

What does this all mean? Simply put, it’s the journey you take your reader on.

When they come to your site, buy your book, or sign up to your newsletter, what do you do? What experience do you want them to feel?

Once someone comes into my life (when they sign up to a mailing list), this is the whimsical journey I take them down:

• To Nurture
• To Involve
• To Understand

How You Can Know Thy Reader

Nurture, Involve & Understand is taken directly from How To Build an Author House. This is what I consider every time I think about my readers. My aim is to take them on a journey that ticks each one of these boxes.

Want to build a rocking Author Platform? This will help.

In my opinion, the most important factor in this journey is email. Not those spammy emails, but the ones that are interesting and engaging. Without email this entire journey becomes that much harder.

See how I do this by signing up to my Newsletter

To summarise:

• Nurture: simply keep your reader happy. Give rather than take.
• Involve: get them involved in what you’re doing. This is where you sign them up and get them to buy your book. This where they become an advocate.
• Understand: this is the next level. This is where you go from good to great. Ask them questions, learn who they are, and unearth their wants and needs.

More Than An Author Platform

If you do this you don’t have an Author Platform, you have an Author House. The better you know your reader the more you can offer. As I say, this is covered in How To Build an Author House, so if you want a more in depth read, this is for you.

If you have any further question simply ask them below. I’m always happy to help…

So I ask again, how well do you know your reader?

Do you know them enough?

Turndog Millionaire – @turndog_million