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  1. Seems like targeting is so impersonal. It’s much more fun to just enjoy people. Perhaps that should be our primary goal, book sales or not.

    1. Agreed.

  2. I have to agree Kristen, I don’t target people I like. I prefer to think of my idea reader as just that, the ideal reader. The one person I write the story for.

  3. Oh, sooo cute, Kristen! You got your point across, and I got my Lambo fix! YAY! 😀

    1. Lambo!! It’s nice that I’m not the only one out there who calls her THE LAMBO. 🙂

  4. Targeting is not just for warships. It’s for TV networks and big corporations, too. But definitely not writers who want to build a relationship with readers. Well said, Kristen. Thank you for the reminder.

  5. Great message! I wish more people would take that to heart before they Tweet spam to their followers.

    • magnoliasoul on October 24, 2012 at 10:36 am
    • Reply

    hey there – i don’t think your over-thinking it at all. Its almost like we’re culturally indoctrinated to ‘target our demographic’ from school age, and if you’ve spent any time working in the media/marketing/sales or finance industries (i could add and add to that list) It becomes an inbreed part of your psyche – and a really difficult habit to break – that is, if you even notice that your doing it.

    just throwing my two-penith in 🙂

    oh -, am loving the vloging

    • magnoliasoul on October 24, 2012 at 10:37 am
    • Reply

    *inbred* – sorry 🙂

  6. Vlogging is definitely your style. Keep up the teaching through the vlog!

  7. Hey Kristen, what’s the deal now with being “fanned” on Huffington Post? I mean, these days I get notices that “so and so has fanned you” –is that the latest social networking time-suck or what? Yes, I wrote several blogs for the Huffster but the last one was over a year ago. And yes, I “followed” a couple of bloggers (authors I know and like). But now suddenly this out of the blue “fan-dom” stuff is creeping me out. *checking for red laser on body parts…*

    • malindalou on October 24, 2012 at 1:41 pm
    • Reply

    I agree that there is a difference between targeting a person or group of people and building a relationship with members of your target audience (readership, customers, subscribers etc.). It seems subtle. In the best case scenario, it is. But getting targeted spam is definitely not cool and anything but subtle.

  8. Targeting not only strikes me as plain ol’ Bad Manners, it makes me feel as if I need to immediately duck and cover!

  9. Bwahahahahaha. You make that whole vlogging thing look so easy. I definitely agree that sticking with the community idea is the best. It’s the easiest for me because I suck at demographic type stuff. LOL. Even if I wasn’t challenged in that area, I’d still just rather get to know folks. You never know what someone else will bring into your life or how you can encourage someone.

  10. Wow, interesting serendipity. Your post and another called “Ebook Marketing: How do you target your reading audience?” complete with gun graphic arrived in my box at the same time. Needless to say, one got my hackles up and the other made me smile 🙂

    Because of the nature of my blog, marketing types are always telling me to target baby boomers, the universe’s next humongous demographic with money. They never understand why I shake my head. I’ll just point them here next time. Thanks so much, Kristen!

    (Here’s the link to the other article, if you’re curious: http://hbspublications.blogspot.com/2012/09/ebook-marketing-how-do-you-target-your.html).

  11. I am missing a howler monkey!! That explains everything.

  12. The sound of the t-word makes me cringe. It reminds me of a sales job I had in a spa years ago. I was great at saving customers money, but not the spa. 😉 Targeting begets pressure, which isn’t comfy for anyone. Having fun, giving of ourselves and being authentic are SO much better. Thanks for teaching us that!

  13. I’m sure I’ve been guilty of using the phrase “target market” in the past, but no more You’re right that it sounds creepy to use that shooting metaphor. I’m off to mend my words.

  14. Love the vlog! And your phrase about words having power! Even in the way we talk about writing and how we use it to connect. Not just the books.

    I’m interested in your Good Fences class! I’m off to scope it out. You’ll be proud to know I’m taking the leap and applying for different jobs. Time has always been my big barrier. My 60 hour job is a soul suck in the creativity department and just staying awake after I get home. Hoping a new job and a new attitude will be the learning lessons I need to allow more time for my writing. here we go, interviews! The WANAs have been great while I’ve been cutting back to complete applications and cover letters.

  15. Oooh I love this idea! I have just recently started writing a memoir but have decided to blog it (to keep me motivated). Does the prize apply to a blog ie first few posts? Your “unvarnished truth” would be so helpful to me!

  16. I love your vlogs…so cute!
    Now this has nothing to do with writing, but I suppose I’ll vent anyway.
    I feel targeted by TV networks. Does that count?
    I’m a big TV watcher. I get alot of book ideas, plotting ideas, character ideas from the old boob tube, plus, I’m a history and science addict. So I have the DVR set recording two educational shows while I’m busy watching Supernatural or Castle.
    What I don’t like is the ever larger station identification that sits in various corners of my flat screen, burning holes in the pixels. I understand they have to remind the viewer what station they’re tuned to. I get it. It’s a business. But jeesh, do they have to keep it up during the whole of every show? Must they also flash a long banner across the bottom of the entire screen about upcoming shows during a show I’m watching and then at the next commercial break advertise the exact show they just obscurred my show with…does that sentence even make sense?
    It makes me crazy.
    Alot like targeting in Social Media. It’s obnoxious.
    I’m with ya, Kristen. Targeting sucks.
    By the way, I enjoyed your video on Facebook. Let him do the dishes, you got the gun 🙂

    Have a nice evening,
    Tamara

  17. WANAs and WANAbees! I love that so much 😀

  18. Absolutely awesome, Kristen! I totally agree. I really hate getting regular “buy my book!!” tweets and messages. I can almost imagine them looking at me through a scope and their cross hairs on my forehead. It. Is. Creepy. It becomes clear targeters only see others as potential book buyers, not other people. Thanks for teaching good manners.

  19. It’s totally right…

  20. Right on target… oh… I mean, great post, Kristen. The Force will be with you… Always.

  21. I think that you have some good pointers in your video. People don’t like being targeted, and you’re either a wannabe writer or a want to be writer. It could never be the same between the two people.

  22. Ha! Love it! First vlog I’ve seen you do. 😀

  23. When targeting other people you should make sure they have the same interests, so you will then have a higher take up rate.

  24. Haha, very funny!

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