So, today I read in the AARP magazine (yes, I’m old enough
to get it) that 28% of those 67 and older use e-readers. I immediately headed
for the 2010 census and guess what? There are 40.4 million people in the US
over the age of 65. That means we Indie authors who publish digital
copies of our books have a built-in audience of somewhere in the neighborhood
of 10 million readers.
Wow! That’s a great audience to market to and yet, I can’t
remember seeing any books advertised lately specifically for the older crowd.
Can you? I have a work in progress right now that is a love story/mystery with
two seniors as the main characters. Maybe I’m on to something! Besides, the
fact that I love this story, that is.
So, this isn’t a big long post, but just a short and simple
question: Are we missing an opportunity here?
I'm 22, an action junkie, and single with no kids. I can't even begin to imagine what kind of stories the elderly enjoy reading. Most of my own stories would probably bring their eyebrows together.
ReplyDeleteLOL - good comment. There have been lots of elderly main characters - back in the day - Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot for example. I think I'd enjoy reading more about characters my own age, but not necessarily different types of stories. I just wrote a review of a Zombie series I really enjoyed - so, who knows.
DeleteI'm 70 years old - I write about love, dogs, war, drugs, integrity, commitment... things like that. Being over 65 is not an indicator that a person has gone stupid...
DeleteGood (mini) post, Red. I've thought of this before, and what had me thinking was a comment on the ABNA boards last year. Someone asked why there aren't older women characters who have great sex. lolol... BUT, it did get me thinking. When we do write about older characters, I think too many writers fall into creating stereotypical characters. I think it might be difficult for younger writers to get past that...hard for them to empathize fully--get inside their older characters' heads and their lives. They haven' lived it yet, and are forced to draw from the outside looking in. That can be successfully done, but it's a challenge. But *ahem--clearing throat* for those of us who are older, I would have to answer your question with a resounding, "Yes.". We are missing a market that has a lot of readers!
ReplyDeleteI don't think that older women who have great sex are out of the question! There are so many examples of exciting older women out there now. Perhaps, the vibrant older characters need to be trail-blazed by those their own age. I agree, we do know what's important to those our own group.
DeleteI think you're on to something, Kathy. As an older reader/writer I hope I'm reaching some of the people that have done so much to make this a better place to live.
ReplyDeleteI think people of all ages love to read good stories that they can identify with and many of us like to relive our youth as well.
Can't wait to read this latest book of yours!
Unfortunately, this book is being worked on in tandem with 4 other projects. I don't which one is going to break out and be the next one published.
DeleteWe are missing a great opportunity. I have long thought that the target audience for my books was fifty plus. But how do we reach them? If we answer that, we can all sell books.
ReplyDeleteI think you've made a great point - maybe we find a way to hook up with AARP?
DeleteKathy Lynn:
ReplyDeleteI agree entirely that it is a huge audience. My gut tells me this group (I'm sixty by the way) likes good well-written stories that don't contain four-letter words in every sentence. My wife and I have long been involved in the search for the cure of Alzheimer's disease. The result of this for me as a writer is that I have written stories and even a novel with a hero who is a person with AD. I an currently writing another novel that has AD as its major theme. This is just an example of subjects that may touch a responsive chord with people who are aging and who are caregivers or other persons touched by that dread disease. I think the older demographic is a great group to target for readers. I just don't know how to reach them yet.
I like your examples - and I'm thinking family themes, resolutions of old hurts, etc. Along with second chances - I think the possibilities are boundless.
DeleteReaching them is a tough one, since according to the Pew Research group, they don't use Twitter much. I think we can crack this one, though.
Kathy,
ReplyDeleteMy first novel,"The Tourist Killer," due out later this year, features a woman professional assassin in her early sixties. Her love interest is a retired FBI man in his late fifties. She is also an artist(oil and water color painting),and a mother who loves to travel.
Doesn't the AARP monthly organ do book reviews?
In your research, did you discover which (if any) of the social media gets more attention from seniors?
Thanks!
FCEtier, aka "Chip"
Wow! Sounds very interesting. I really didn't do much research - just a quick pass. Good subject for the next post. Thanks.
DeleteThe AARP group on Facebook has over 394,000 "Likes"...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.facebook.com/AARP
I'm going right now!
DeleteMy mom reads them all. She's not really interested in old lady lit. She likes romance novels and mysteries of all kinds.
ReplyDeleteLOL - "old lady lit" has to be a newly minted phrase. I also read everything but I wouldn't mind reading about someone my own age.
DeleteI guess the question is what is that demographic reading?
ReplyDeleteI think that's the question to a degree. Because if there is little or no read material with older protagonists, you read what's available.
DeleteExcellent question, Kathy, I'm completely convinced there's a HUGE market out there of Baby Boomers (really building up to 75 million over the next few years...much, much more than 10 million!)I've even got a term for the fiction for seniors: BB novels - stands for Baby Boomer novels, just like you've got YA novels for Young Adults.
ReplyDeleteHooray for the BB novel! Actually, (secret revealed) I'm about to publish my BB novel, called A Hook in the Sky! Oh, btw, shall rush to that AARP FB page, thanks for sharing AND posting!
Okay, Claude - you came up with a great name for it - Baby Boomer novels. Love it!
Delete