I thought word count onmy mattered in college.

[RockyMtn Gal 558]

Hi there!

 

Hoping to get some opinions.

 

I'm trying to decide what the target audience should be for my book, something I really didn't consider before I started writing. I also didn't know how important word count would be depending on the target audience.

 

It's a classical fantasy, but also with a real world historical setting--main character enters portal to another world trope. 

 

I was thinking I would shoot for the middle ground between YA and A (forgot what it was called).

 

Any tips? 

What should I consider when choosing a target audience?

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[davidbergsland 102]

I guess I do it backwards. I write the story I believe the Lord wants me to write. When I'm done I ask Him to show me the audience. He does all my marketing anyway. Like I said, that's a bit backwards I guess.

[RockyMtn Gal 558]

Hm

Never thought of that, though I should have.

 

Thanks!

[Jeff Potts 550]

Word count matters when they budget for your book.  I know that for a fact.

 

Word selection also.  I'm pretty sure that YA audiences aren't going to be running to a dictionary for a page filled with large words.  That'll probably be a turnoff.

 

That being said, my wife works in the library in an elementary school.  She's telling me that fifth-graders are all into Lord of the Rings in her schools.  It's the latest fad.  So, that should say something.

 

I know that when I was a kid, if there was a takeaway from any book I read, it was a book that said "something."  I think that's why A Catcher in the Rye was (is?) so popular with disaffected youth.  It addressed the uncertainty of the future, and the desire for a simpler life.  I think, above all things, a message that aligns with the reader is more important than the character and the journey he or she takes.  Because, deep inside every kid, there is always an eye on what is to come, and the uncertainty of what the future holds.

[RockyMtn Gal 558]

Well, my aim is certainly more than plot and characters.

 

I'm trying to convey the destructiveness of jealousy and what true love actually looks like -romantic and agape-versus the current/historical trend of pushing sex and emotional highs. 

 

Just hoping I can do it well.

 

Any advice you, or others, can provide is most welcome!

[Claire Tucker 2,486]

One way to approach this is to consider what age group you are drawn to in life? Where do find yourself ministering (or offering advice and encouragement) easily? 

 

Another option would be to look at your manuscript and ask what age group would best relate with it. Or do a Google search for finding your target reader - there are plenty of good websites with things to think of and questions to ask in this arena