During the course, you will learn how to create work for a target audience -

Any publication needs a target audience in order to sell; a ‘target audience’ is the audience that is best suited to the publication. A target audience may be adults, teens or children but because readers differ in their reading preferences it will also be a ‘type’ of adult, teen or child. There is absolutely no point in trying to target your book, magazine or even marketing materials to the wrong audience. 

Textbooks

Textbooks need to match the courses they are written for; but courses do change, and if the book is perfectly aligned to one course but lacks content and relevance to other courses, it can have a limited market or limited lifespan.

Magazine and Newspaper Articles

Periodicals survive by attracting repeat business. Readers need to buy new editions or take out subscriptions and they come to do that over time because they like the style of article, the layout or visual appearance of the publication and the style of what is published. They come to expect certain things from the publication The editor and publisher needs to recognise this and meet or exceed expectations in order to sustain an ongoing readership.

The High Concept Novel 

'High concept' is a term which originated in the film industry as a method of ‘pitching’ an idea for a film to potential producers. However, the publishing industry has also now adopted this term and applied it to certain types of novels, and the approach that is used to describe them. The high concept pitch is also used to pitch novels to potential publishers before they are even written – the pitch is written in such a way as to capture the publisher’s attention and hold it.

A high concept novel will also have instant appeal to the reader and attract their attention – captured by the book’s title, the cover and a short, pithy, concise (often one-line) yet comprehensive blurb. These three elements must move the reader to buy the book without any further investigation. 

High concept novels are original and often, but not always, unique, entertaining, and highly visual. They have an intelligible emotive emphasis, are easy to read and comprehend, and must appeal to a broad audience e.g. many science fiction novels and thrillers. However, high concept novels can fall within many other genres. High concept novels intrinsically use the ‘what if’ question to develop the story.  

Commercial Novels

Commercial novels appeal to a wide audience. They are usually easy to follow and easy to read but also fall into many genres. The genre or sub-genre in a commercial novel should be easily recognised by the reader - the elements in the story should be what the reader would expect.  Commercial novels have a distinct plot and active characters i.e. characters that are trying to solve a problem, pursue a goal, overcome adversity or meet a challenge.  

Some commercial novels are considered to be ‘mainstream’ i.e. they appeal to a wide audience of readers. That is not to say that commercial novels have no or little literary merit - this is far from the truth - since commercial novels need to be well-written. Some commercial novels have a literary bent.

Commercial novels adhere (in the main) to the formula:  whom, why, what and when (the characters, the events, the place and the time) and are also often based on the premise, 'What if?' (The idea i.e. the initial inspiration behind the concept of the novel you want to write).

Literary Novels

Literary fiction means different things to different people and the meaning of it is a subject of hot debate. Many people would say that literary fiction concentrates on style rather than plot, has psychological depth and acuity, is more prosaic, tends to have more complex characters, and focuses more on style and the characters reactions to events rather than the events themselves. The pace of a literary novel is usually slower than a commercial novel, and the plot is less obvious and underlying, rather than on the surface. Literary novels deal with the emotions, desires, thoughts, deeds and reactions of the characters, often within or because of certain social settings or cultural situations.  

Learn to Consider and Cater to Target Markets

Writers come in all shapes and forms. What they write about, and the way they communicate can vary greatly. The job of an editor or publisher is in the space between the writer and the reader. They need to be mindful of choosing appropriate writers in the first place, then adjusting the work supplied to ensure consistency; appropriate content and the proper style for their target market. 

What Are the Advantages of Studying Writing with ACS Distance Education?

• You can start at any time to suit you.
• The courses are self-paced.
• You can study when and where suits you. They are flexible to fit in around you and your lifestyle.
• Keep up to date on your learning.
• Update your CV.
• It is not just a course, it is a package of learning that includes – course notes, tutor feedback, self-assessment tests, research tasks and assignments.
• Our tutors are all experts in their field, with years of experience in writing.
• They are also keen and enthusiastic about their subject and enjoy working with students to improve their knowledge and skills.
• Courses are also updated regularly to meet the demands of the changing needs for knowledge and to keep our courses up to date.

What Next?

• The Foundation Diploma in Editing and Publishing will give provide a broad based of relevant and detailed knowledge for anyone looking to advance a career as an editor, publisher, journalist, writer, blogger, academic writer.

• Understand how the industry operates, how to find opportunities and how to write accurate, honed content appropriately formatted and constructed.

• Learn how to set up and develop your own business and how to identify opportunities for business.

You can enrol today by clicking the “Enrol Now” button above.

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Click here to contact a writing tutor.

Or Request a Prospectus Here.