What Readers Want vs What Writers Write
Is there a disconnect between what readers want to read and what writers want to write?
I don't personally know all readers or writers but I do scan a multitude of blogs and other folks seem to think bloggers know what they're talking about…
Many writing blogs advise "surveying" the readers then writing what they want.
Yet, I'm sure there are readers who rarely find what they like; just like there are writers who rarely think about readers.
Is the solution that writers should "somehow" find out what readers want and try to write something catering to this "knowledge".
In that last sentence, the words in quotes indicate my belief that knowing what readers want is "tricky" at best.
Sure, you can look at the numbers of sales of various types of books and draw conclusions about what readers want, but…
What if the books sold reflect the taste of publishers and the readers are choosing their fare from a limited buffet?
Then, the "conclusion" about what to write so readers will like it (along with the usual motivation to make bucks) is a game being played on an exceedingly small field.
As far as the problem with publishers restricting what's available to readers, self-publishing is beginning to widen what's available.
As far as the slavish desire to warp creative potential by imitating what others have done just to satisfy an audience that could well be unaware other books could please them more, I must pause and gather my courage…
I feel there are way too many assumptions being accepted in the Book World:
Many readers assume they have to settle for what's being offered.
Many writers assume they must cleave to a formula to succeed.
Many publishers assume the monetary bottom line is the place to begin their evaluations.
Hopefully, when self-publishing attains some measure of stability, readers will have easy and efficient ways to find what they Really want to read.
As far as the challenge of writers pleasing readers and still sticking to their own principles:
In a post from last January, Do You Write For The Reader or Should You Write For Yourself?, I said, "Read as widely and deeply as you possibly can. Read till you're bored and then read more. Absorb as much of our Human Family's hopes and dreams and challenges and fears and dangers and failures and quirks as you possibly can–absorb it into what you could call your internal Meta-Reader.
"Then, when you sit down to create, let that Meta-Reader decide what is absolutely necessary to write………"
What are your thoughts and feelings?
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Tagged: publish, publishing, reader, reading, writer, Writers Resources, writing, Writing Success
