On Audience
12 sentences that will change how you think about your reader.
10X Writer #90
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You can’t write clearly for someone you haven’t clearly pictured.
Most writers think about what they want to say. The ones who connect think about who needs to hear it.
Writing for everyone is writing for no one. The more specific the person, the more universal the writing lands.
Your audience isn’t a demographic. It’s a moment. A specific situation, a specific frustration, a specific thing they want to be true.
Writing to the right person with the wrong words is fixable. Writing the right words to the wrong person is wasted.
Most writers write at their readers. The ones who connect write to one.
The best writing makes the reader feel seen before it makes them think.
The moment you write “my readers,” you’ve lost the plot. There is no plural. One person is reading this, right now.
The reader brings half the meaning. What they know, what they’ve tried, what they’ve failed at. All of it is already in the room when they open your piece.
When the writing isn’t landing, the instinct is to fix the words. Most of the time, the problem is you’re writing for the wrong person.
Writing that feels personal to one reader will feel personal to thousands. Writing that tries to feel personal to thousands feels personal to no one.
The clearest sign you know your audience: you can hear them push back as you write.