Finding Your Audience

Finding your audience as a writer is much harder than one might expect.

My first book, Dreadmarrow, was written for the whole family. What I didn’t realize is that when you write something for everyone, no one is quite sure it’s for them.

I mostly marketed it as young adult fantasy, but some readers thought it skewed too young. Others assumed from the cover that it was romantasy—which it absolutely is not—leading to reader disappointment.

For a while I tried aiming the book at middle-schoolers, but neither the title nor the cover really says “middle grade novel.” More often, people assume it's adult fantasy, but then grow frustrated when darker, more adult themes are not explored.

Fixing this will probably mean new covers, blurbs, and marketing materials someday. No time for it at the moment, however.

With my newest novel, I wanted to solve the problem from the start.

It took me a year of sampling titles inspired by everything from Shakespeare to Irish shanties (don’t ask) before I landed on Not My Job Anymore. It’s simple, memorable, and instantly relatable. Everyone has at least one job they never want to do again.

The cover needed to match. I commissioned artists through 99Designs, and nearly every submission featured a lone woman gazing moodily at the ocean. Nothing unique about it.

Then I saw the one I chose: a woman’s feet sticking up as she lies upside down in a chair. It stood out to me. I actually said, “Ahhh.” Looking at the title and cover together gave me a physical sense of relief. It’s the same feeling I hope readers get from my book.

While the cover is relatable to most readers, the blurb needed to narrow that audience. It promises some humor, some romance, and a female protagonist in her 60s or 70s struggling with an unfulfilling marriage and a complicated relationship with her mother. A reader who chooses the book after reading the blurb has a high probability of being satisfied.

As I write this, it’s been a little over three weeks since publication day on May 1, and the response has been unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Since the free giveaway, the book has stayed high in Amazon’s rankings—top 100 in all its categories. It now has more than 100 ratings averaging 4.5 stars, with reviews overwhelmingly positive.

In other words, the book is finding its audience.

Recently I put it on NetGalley, where reviewers are known for being tough. I only have four reviews there so far, but every one has been glowing.

One said, “Great title - it got my attention!” (Picture me punching the air.)

And then there was this one:

“🌊📚 Not My Job Anymore by Margie Benedict was such a bold and emotional read. I loved that this story focused on a woman later in life finally deciding she deserves more than just surviving. Viola’s journey felt messy, raw, funny, and empowering all at once ❄️🌪️💙

“The coastal winter setting was absolutely perfect and gave the whole story this cold, stormy atmosphere that matched all the emotions bubbling underneath. I especially loved the mix of dark humor, family drama, ghostly moments, and personal reinvention 🌊👻🏠 It made the story feel layered and impossible to put down.

“Viola was such an interesting character because she was angry, grieving, vulnerable, and determined at the same time. Watching her slowly break away from the life everyone expected her to live was honestly my favorite part 🔥✨ Jackie also completely stole scenes for me because she brought so much chaos, fun, and energy to the story 🍷😂

“What I liked most was how fearless this book felt. It explored aging, desire, betrayal, and freedom in a way that felt honest and refreshing. It was emotional but still witty and entertaining the entire time 💨📖🌊”

Reading this, I felt like someone truly understood what I was trying to do with the book. In fact, I think the reviewer gives me credit for a few things I didn’t even realize I’d accomplished. And the well-chosen emojis are icing on an already scrumptious cake.

Forgive me if this sounds like boasting. I prefer to think of it as gratitude. After nearly ten years since my first published book—and countless years writing other material before that—I may finally have found my readers. The ones who would like to hear what I have to say.

If you’re still reading my blog, you might be one of them.

Thank you.

Last one, from Kirkus Reviews: “A sparkling later-in-life tale that spills over with wit, warmth, and humanity.” Awarded with their “Our Verdict: √ Get It” tag.

❤️Margie

If you haven’t read Not My Job Anymore, you can find purchase options at margiebenedict.com. 

If you have, and would like to help other readers discover it, please follow this link to where you can leave a review. It won’t take long, I promise. https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review/?ie=UTF8&asin=B0GZ7H3JMN 

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