Neil S. Plakcy
Mar 09, 2026
I learned about the concept of “Finding Timothy” from listening to the Novel Marketing podcast. At the Novel Marketing Conference earlier this year, the idea came up again—and it stuck with me.
Thomas Umstattd explains that the New Testament book of Timothy was written for one specific reader. That concept provides a powerful framework for identifying your ideal reader and focusing your book marketing strategy.
In other words:
A book written for one person often becomes universal.
One practical exercise is finishing this sentence:
“This book is for readers who want ___.”
It took me a long time to figure out what I offer readers across my books—from my Golden Retriever cozy mysteries to the harder-edged Mahu, Angus Green, and George Clay crime novels, along with the MM romances I love to write.
Eventually I realized it was already captured in my email signature:
Neil S. Plakcy creates engaging mysteries and romances with humor and heart, celebrating love, identity, and found family (often with a loyal dog).
That’s my core promise as a storyteller. And I think this idea can translate to the marketing of any good. Who wants what you have to buy?
When I applied the “Finding Timothy” idea to my new Formula 1 MM romance, Driven Together, things became much clearer.
The Timothy for this book is someone who loves:
- Second-chance romance
- High-stakes sports competition
- Emotionally complicated characters confronting their past
- It’s for readers who enjoy the emotional rivalry of books like Heated Rivalry, but who also want humor, redemption, and the sense that love—like a well-planned race strategy—sometimes deserves another lap.
When I step back and look at my catalogue, I realize that same reader shows up again and again.
Whether it’s a golden retriever helping solve a mystery or two men rebuilding a relationship, my stories are ultimately about people trying to find their way back to connection, loyalty, and chosen family.
And once you know who your Timothy is, the next challenge becomes a business problem for writers:
How do you help that reader discover your book?
One of the most powerful tools in Amazon book marketing is still the humble review.
Reviews don’t just make authors feel good—they help Amazon’s algorithm show the book to more readers who might be that ideal Timothy.
Thomas recently created a helpful tool that generates a direct Amazon review link for authors, allowing readers to go straight to the review page.
Here’s the free tool Thomas built to create a direct link for readers to add reviews:
https://www.authormedia.com/patron-toolbox/review-linker/
Thomas has a ton of other tools to help writers, but you must join his Patreon at the $10 or higher level to use them. I have been a patron for more than a year, and have used many of his tools, so the subscription is well worth it.
If you’ve read Driven Together, I’d truly appreciate a quick review:
https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?asin=B0GMD9N9FF
Even a short review can help the book reach new readers. One of my longtime readers, author Ulysses Grant Dietz, recently posted a thoughtful review of Driven Together. He always notices details that surprise me—sometimes things I didn’t consciously realize I had written.
Here’s part of what he said:
“All same-sex couples have to negotiate issues of career, but rarely are those issues as intense as they are in Driven Together. It’s an impressive, fascinating read, and a marvelous addition to Plakcy’s oeuvre.”
If you’d like to read Ulysses’ full review, you can find it on Facebook.
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