Does Knowing Your Audience Result in Better Writing?
It’s an old adage for writers: know your audience. But what does that mean? How well must we know the audience? And does knowing the audience really lead to better writing?
Some writers insist that the best way to write is to just write for yourself. Sit down and let the words flow. It’s true that sometimes a freewheeling approach will result in some of your best work. And writing that way is immensely enjoyable. But there are times when a writer must take readers into consideration.
In business, academic, and other types of formal writing, the audience is a consideration from the very beginning. You wouldn’t write a business letter peppered with internet shorthand (LOLs and OMGs), and you shouldn’t use casual language in an academic paper. In instances like these, it’s easy to see why you must keep your reader in mind throughout the entire project, but what about poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction writing? Should the work be influenced by its intended readers? At what point does the audience begin to matter? And who is the audience, anyway?
Goals Matter
Some writers know they want to write children’s books, so they keep a young audience in mind. After all, it wouldn’t do to write a children’s book laden with adult language or love scenes. Other writers want to publish a memoir, hoping their own personal story will inspire others. And if you’re hoping to inspire people, you should have a good idea about which people you want to inspire — whether they’re spiritual, impoverished, or creative.
These types of writers have specific goals, and their writing must be aligned with those goals.
That’s why in some cases, it’s essential to know who your audience is before you begin writing. But there are other cases when the goals aren’t so clear, and therefore, neither is the audience. In cases like these, does a writer ever need to think about readers?
Goals Aren’t Always Necessary (and Neither is an Audience)
When you write for the sheer joy of writing or love of craft and you do so without any particular goal in mind, the creative magic can sweep you away. When I wrote my novel for NaNoWriMo in 2008, I started with nothing more than a few characters. My only goal was to write at least 50,000 words. I didn’t give a thought to the audience. And I’m certain that approaching the project this way, with an open mind and without any particular goal in terms of content, is what enabled me to actually complete the first draft of my first novel. It felt like quite an achievement.
When I finished my novel, I knew instantly who the audience was. I had written a young adult novel! If I ever decide to revise and polish that (very rough) first draft in hopes of getting it published, knowing that the book is geared toward young adults will be helpful and will inform the way I approach editing and proofreading. I’ll pay attention to the language to make sure it’s age-appropriate and I’ll also make sure the characters, themes, and everything else are suitable for the target age group.
Knowing the audience will also drive which agents and publishers I reach out to because agents and publishers often specialize in specific types of writing. They cater to clearly defined audiences. Therefore, as a writer, it helps to know who the audience will be when polishing and when looking for publication opportunities.
Benefits of Knowing Your Audience (and When It’s Absolutely Necessary)
If you write in a journal and nobody ever sees your work, then you don’t ever need to think about an audience. Readers come into play when you decide to share your work, to get it published. There’s a point when you decide that you want to cross over from writer to published writer, and it’s at that point that the audience starts to matter in a big way.
Agents and publishers can’t do much with your work if the audience is unclear. This is particularly relevant with fiction and nonfiction. There are dozens of poetry markets, so chances are, you can find your audience after the writing is done and polished. But other genres will need to be marketed to the right readers. This is also a factor in blogging and self-publishing.
Publication is the point where your art shifts into business mode. It’s the stage when you say, “I want to do this for a living and make money doing it.” That means you’re going to have to sell and anytime you’re selling anything, you need to know to whom you’re selling it.
Better Writing and Readers
So, the answer isn’t all that clear. There are some writers who need to know their audience from a project’s conception. Others don’t need to consider an audience until they decide to try getting published. Poets can probably get away with not thinking about the audience until they start looking for publications where they can submit their work. But one thing’s certain: once you set your sights on publication, that means you’re looking for readers. And since readers are your audience, you’ll have to give them some consideration.
Do you think about your readers while you’re writing? Are you concerned about getting published? Do you believe that knowing your audience results in better writing?
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What a great post! And so funny you should write about this today because I was just thinking to myself that I finally have an audience for the things I’m writing. I used to write only for myself, but now that I have a blog, other people actually want to read what I write. Amazing! I think it’s really important to consider one’s audience and you’ve done a great write up of the topic here.
.-= Positively Present´s last blog ..the magic of giving (& first ever giveaway!) =-.
I was completely floored when I first started blogging and found that other people were interested in what I had to say. It’s a good feeling, isn’t it? I’m eternally grateful.
I think you make an excellent point about writing for yourself vs writing for a specific audience. I find that, usually, I write fiction for ME. I write what I want to read, what I would be knocking people aside to reach at the bookstore. Non-fiction, though? Except for the occasional ‘all about me’ blog post, that I usually gear towards who I expect my audience to be. What they care about. What they would want to read.
Interesting, really. I’d never quite thought of it that way. I wonder if my best audience for my fiction really IS me?
.-= –Deb´s last blog ..Are You Doing What You Love? =-.
I think so Deb. With some genres and forms, if you write for yourself, then you’re writing for a wider audience because there is a bunch of people out there who read the same novels that you do. When you write for yourself, you’re writing for them too. At least that’s the way I see it
For the most of my writings, I know I’m writing for myself but I always keep in mind who might be reading or who else this might be for. My mother is my biggest fan and she isn’t a fan of adult language, so I’m conscious of that. I don’t use it anyway, but one of these days I hope to write a screenplay about my college days and I know exactly who I’m writing that for: my college buddies. So honest and rated R material will be written, I’ll just tell my mother to skip that one.
The whole “know your audience” phrase played a big part in discussions after a poetry show I hosted a few years ago. I held a few at my church. One of our own church members decided to perform a poem chock full of swears, curses and offensiveness. In church. With other ministers and clergy members. Not to mention kids! Needless to say, we were all appalled and me, being the MC, had a hard time finding something nice to say when he was done as I moved on to the next performer. I wouldn’t have cared if we were in a different setting, like a coffeehouse or HBO… but the poems he performed were not for this audience. Even the poems I chose not to read weren’t that severe, but I get a vibe of the audience and I decide which ones I think they might enjoy, and others that are probably best read silently by the reader.
But overall, when I write, I do have certain goals and want the reader or listener to feel a certain way when it’s done. So I definitely keep the audience in mind.
.-= t. sterling´s last blog ..break’s over =-.
I would guess that the member who decided to do the foul-language poetry piece in church was going for shock value. Even I have to admit that there is something distinctly artistic (and rebellious) about finding a way to curse in church. Artists (including poets) have been shocking the public and bringing together sharp contrasts (i.e. swear words and church) forever, so it’s actually not that surprising, although I can imagine how the audience in attendance would have been extremely offended. On the one hand, it was rude and disrespectful. But on the other hand, I can see the humor in it because ultimately, they are just words and church is a place where people should be reminded that actions matter far more than words. The poet’s performance certainly could lead to an interesting discussion about behavior in church versus outside of church, breaking rules or nonconformity, or the power of language versus the power of actions. One of the purposes of art is to incite discussion, even if it’s kicked off on a negative note. If nothing else came of the incident, perhaps it got a few people talking about these issues. I can’t help but wonder what the subject matter of that poem was…
Honestly, I can’t remember what BOTH poems were about. One was way more offensive than the other. And you raise a good point about breaking rules and going for the shock value which I might assume is what he was going for. I’ll also agree it was artistically rebellious, and maybe if it wasn’t my show, I wouldn’t have care as much. Probably even a little less if there weren’t kids around, which is what offended me and other people I invited because I figured, hey, it’s a safe family thing. If I said mature only, different story entirely. In fact, different venue entirely actually.
One poem talked about sex or the act of it in great detail. It was either that one, or the other one that he practically said every swear except the F-bomb which is when I’m sure my dad (the pastor) would have cut him short. I think if he did the sexual poem, minus any swearing or at least with the less severe ones, I think he could’ve gotten away with that one. I’m wondering if the more profane one was just being profane for the sake of being profane. But if he was going for the shock value, he got it. If wanted to get people talking, he got that too. He later apologized to the church and a while later apologized to me directly. Again, I had no problem with his poetry. He’s pretty good. A bit arrogant and pompous at times, but he performs well and is overall a nice guy.
.-= t. sterling´s last blog ..fripodding and gagaing: “bad romance” lady gaga =-.
You’re quite open-minded about the poet’s actions, and I think that’s admirable. Personally, I don’t like shock for the sake of shocking people, but it can be effective in the right setting if the purpose is to stir discussion about something important. I don’t see the point in offending people unnecessarily and I think it’s good this poet issued an apology. Ultimately, art (including poetry) has to stand up to scrutiny. In any case, it sounds like it all ended well, so that’s good
I see you have a new post about Lady Gaga (speaking of shock!), and I can’t wait to see what you have to say about her (heheh).
I think I write non-fiction stuff mostly for myself. That actually have been useful to me sometimes, since I would be reminded of what I knew at one point but then forgot. When I write fiction, it’s usually something funny, so I guess the audience is whoever digs my kind of humor.
.-= Kelvin Kao´s last blog ..Sesame Street Characters Interviewed on Rocketboom =-.
Whatever you’re doing, Kelvin, keep it up. I love your humorous fiction!
I think some of the most effective writing is writing to impress yourself first, but then tuning and pruning over time for your audience. If you don’t like your writing, why should anybody else.
I think some people get lost chasing their audience.
I think the other key is a reality check, whether you are a fit for the audience you target. I’ve seen some people break themselves against an audience, instead of finding an audience that’s a better match for what they’ve got.
.-= J.D. Meier´s last blog ..How To Think Like Bill Gates =-.
Well said J.D. I especially like what you’ve said about finding the right audience instead of trying to force yourself into the wrong mold. Ultimately, I think it’s a delicate balance between writing for others and oneself.
Pretty much my print audience doesn’t change that much so in that respect the topic tends to have more influence on the quality of a piece. If the source is not cooperating or there just isn’t much it is harder to write something compelling.
.-= Deb´s last blog ..First Week of Christmas: Light =-.
It’s definitely helpful for a writer to have a fixed or defined audience. I think that allows us to settle into a more conversational style of writing — not in terms of voice but in terms of feeling relaxed during the writing process.
Very thorough and thoughtful post. I never knew there was so much to knowing your audience. thanks for all your posts, been very helpful. Cheers!
Thanks Andy! Cheers to you and happy new year!