Many authors get stuck trying to decide which marketing activity to focus on next — building an email list, running ads, or posting more consistently.

But before choosing what to do, there’s a more important question: who is your book actually for?

In this episode of Author Marketing Minute, Lynn McGinnis explains why vague audience definitions lead to vague marketing results. If your answer to “Who is this for?” is “everyone,” you’re not ready to market — you’re still avoiding clarity.

This episode walks through why audience definition comes before tactics, why emotional specificity matters more than demographics, and why no marketing activity can compensate for unclear positioning.

If your messaging feels scattered or your efforts aren’t gaining traction, the issue may not be the tactic. It may be the foundation.

To help with this, Lynn created the Know Your Reader GPT — a guided tool designed to help authors define their audience clearly and intentionally.

You can try it here:

https://lynnmcginnis.co/know-your-reader-gpt

Learn more about Lynn and her work with authors at

https://lynnmcginnis.me