52 – Shaping a ‘Reader First’ Mindset, With Samantha Hanni
Imagine this scenario:
You are hosting a dinner party in your home.
Who would you invite?
What would be on the menu?
How would you make your guests feel welcome and comfortable?
Writers need to have the “dinner party” mindset. We are inviting readers to the table, and they’re bringing all kinds of life experiences with them that will impact the way they receive our words.
Whether we’re writing a book, a blog post, or social media content, we must “set the table” for our readers by putting them FIRST.
In Episode 52, Samantha Hanni and I unpack three questions that’ll help you shape a reader-first mindset:
- What are my publishing goals?
- Who is my reader?
- How do I want my reader to be different after reading my book?
Samantha, the author of four books, also explains how she discovered a huge gap in the pre-teen market. She filled that gap by adapting the manuscript for one book into a three-book “Bloom” devotional series for girls.
She also repurposed content from her “Bloom” series into several 7-day Reading Plans (available on the YouVersion Bible app ). The plans have a combined 150,000+ subscribers.
This is Part 1 of a 2-part interview with Samantha. Next week, we’ll discuss how to carry the “Reader First” mindset into the editing process.
About Samantha Hanni
Samantha is a freelance editor and writer. Since 2015, she has authored four books and edited and written more than one hundred articles and posts for clients in the mental health, Christian living, and lifestyle industries.
Some of her work has appeared on the YouVersion Bible app; Devotional Diva; To Love, Honor, and Vacuum; Families Alive, and the OCHEC Informer. Samantha has copyedited for The Odyssey Online and currently copyedits for a local publishing house. She has also taught creative writing and literature for homeschool highschoolers.
Samantha graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a degree in journalism and she and her husband Kurtis live in Oklahoma City with their dog, Podrick. She enjoys reading, traveling (when not prohibited by a pandemic), and working with her husband on their fixer-upper home, along with discipling in the local church.
Visit Samantha at mrshanni.com
How Do I Put My Reader First, Part 1
How Do I Put My Reader First, Part 2
Find Your Ideal Audience
You have a life-transforming message to share with a slice of the world. This audio training and workbook will help you get to know your unique audience better than you ever thought possible.
Continue Learning: How to Get New Readers
Episode #48: Two Ways People Can Subscribe to Your Blog, Vlog, or Podcast
Episode #35: 3 Easy Tricks to Help People Discover Your Website and Blog
Episode #12: Setting Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals
Episode #13: Giving Readers Exactly What They Want, With Karen Barnett
Episode #20: “Get it said. Shut up. Post.” With Tim Fall
Episode #24: List Cleaning Gets Rid of Deadbeat Subscribers
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Thank you!
Laura