I posted one of my TikTok videos to Instagram Reels today. One of those typical 8 second videos that begins with, “POV: You’ve accidentally summoned a sexy demon after using a Ouija Board,” and then hooks the viewer with a spicy teaser at the end.
The comments I received in the first thirty minutes were:
“Bro OMG”
“😂”
“Sounds like the worst book of all time.”
Here’s why those comments didn’t bother me, not even a little bit. In fact, they made me laugh. Why?
Because those comments came from teenage boys. They are NOT my target reader, not even at all.
My target readers are women aged 18-54 who enjoy spicy contemporary and paranormal romance novels. They likely have accounts on multiple serialized fiction apps (like Wattpad, Dreame, GoodNovel, etc.) and read 2-6 books per month.
These trolls don’t fit that description AT ALL.
I know I’m not writing the next great bestselling novel. But I do know the audience I’m writing for, so for those that lie outside that audience, then yes, you probably won’t like it! And that is perfectly okay. Everyone has their own reading tastes, and a book cannot please everybody (and it shouldn’t).
The point is, don’t take comments like this to heart. Some people will find your art weird and unrelatable while others will love it. And that’s what makes art great, whether it’s a book or a painting or a movie, because it at least sparked a reaction and an emotion in someone, whether good or bad.
Know your audience. Study their expectations for the genre, where they interact on social media, and gain insight on their reading habits. You’re going to find your next biggest fan there. 💕
*Image credit to Reedsy Blog.
