The first thing people in the "trade" ask is "Who is your target market." Presented on this page are my thoughts on the subject.

Cyclists who already take cycling tours are NOT my target market. My experiences are their experiences. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't buy a book. They might want a cyclist's viewpoint on some of the places I've been. They might also want to be able to loan the book (or better yet, refer it for purchase) to those people who ask "Why do you do that"? Having similar experiences in print lends credence to your own. Let's face it, if a non-cyclist asks the question, they probably don't believe exercising that hard can still be fun, and you need printed evidence to back up your discussion.

My real target is the recreational cyclist who might ride the neighborhood during the week and take a long ride on the week-end, or who participates in charity rides fairly close to home. That was me. I had fun doing that. The cycling vacation is just the next step or two up. The rewards are many.

Once the manuscript was drafted and I asked some friends to read it, I found that while my target market for reading is primarily the cyclist, my market for buying could well be the spouse/friend of the cyclist who thinks this is just the book the cyclist needs. Everyone who even hears what the book is about, knows a cyclist they want to give it to.

My secondary market could be the general public!  Feedback from folks who read quite a bit is that the book is entertaining and an "easy" read.  You don't need to be a cyclist to accompany me on my touring trips, and you  learn about cycling and my opinion of great vacation spots.  Quite serendipitous, I would say.