Industry Month In Review: You, Me, and Millennials

For those of us on the East coast, we're just now starting to breath a sigh of relief as six foot snowbanks make way for bright sunny skies and warmer weather.  So what better time to take a look at that manuscript you're working on with fresh eyes and a new perspective.  

One way is to take a look at your manuscript and it's potential audience.  Are you speaking to the Millennial generation?  If so, then you should make sure you're addressing their needs.  While this article in Marketplace speaks more to overall marketing to Millennials, there are quotes that hold true for story tellers as well.

MaryLeigh Bliss, a trends editor and strategic consultant with Ypulse, a youth marketing and research firm, says for Millennials, story is key.  

"Making it more than just a product, you know it gives it a background that you can connect with emotionally rather than it just being a thing," she says.

Bliss says Millennials likes to share experiences. They don't like to show off. So her advice to marketers –stop trying to promote your brand, and instead, focus on emotion.

So how do you know that you're manuscript is speaking to your audience?  I'm sure the majority of you are participating in helpful critique groups (whether locally or virtually).  These groups can provide great insight, but in some cases they can also veer you off from the right path.  It's important to assess from time to time the critique group you're a part of . Is it providing you with the right level of support and information?  

Emma Dryden, editor/publisher consultant extraordinaire provides a great recipe for a good critique group in her latest blog post.  I particularly like her final note:

Every once in a while, it's a good idea to add a one-time ingredient to this recipe, such as a professional editor or published author who will provide a new voice and perspective to the discussion. 

Now not everyone has access to professional editors or published authors but even a fresh addition or another writer from a different genre may help you see things you would not have seen otherwise. 

Finally, what's spring without the announcement of a highly anticipated new release?  So excited that Noelle August's (pen name for New York Times Best-Selling author Veronica Rossie and the truly talented independent editor Lorin Oberweger) first novel Boomerang is set to release July 15th.  It promises to be chalk full of romance, drama and titillating urban adventure. Can't wait to see what August has in store for us this summer!