Am I Your Ideal Reader?
Having an actual reader in mind makes you a better writer
Male, mid 30s, seeks writer with similar interests to write articles for him to read.
No, this is not the start of some strange dating profile. It is advice on how to become a better writer.
I often see lots of articles about what you can do to become a better writer. The best of those articles say that you should consider who your audience is and try to provide value to them.
But how can you keep your audience’s interests in mind while writing your next piece?
The best way that I know how to do it is to write for a real person. That is, don’t write for some idealized reader in your head but for someone that actually exists.
For me that is my good friend Romaric Jannel. He reads almost everything I write before I publish it; and if he doesn’t like it, it doesn’t get published.
Now, I know that not everyone has such a person. Thus, I offer myself as a REAL person for you to keep in mind when writing to help you provide more value to your readers.
Here are some facts about me, 3 things I will never read, and finally what I am always sure to click on. So be sure to read till the end.
About Me
Let’s start with some basics.
I am married and we have a young child. I was born in America, but am currently living in Japan. I have traveled extensively around the world to over a dozen countries. My interests include soccer (Football to you non-Americans), games, sci-fi and fantasy novels. I did Ph.D. work in comparative philosophy. I am currently working as a writer, translator, and editor.
I like to read and follow tags such as:
- Philosophy
- Language
- Science Fiction
- Japan
- History
- Buddhism
Besides these basic facts, I think avoiding the following things can help you write something that I will want to read.
What I Do Not and Will Not Read
Lists
Trust me. There are no tips about my favorite topics (e.g. language, philosophy, writing, Japan) that I don’t already know. Too many times have I thought that maybe this person knows something that I don’t, but 99% of the time that is not the case.
These types of articles are great for beginners (and why you should still write them from time to time) but they are not going to get your more seasoned, hardcore readers to read till the end or even click on the title.
Now, you might have put together a great list, but it all comes down to time. With work and family, I do not have the time anymore to try and find a diamond in the rough. It is a better use of my time to just avoid these types of articles and ensure that I enjoy the little time I have to read.
Example Titles I Avoid:
5 Things about Kyoto
3 Ways to Write Better
10 Facts about A.I.
Personal Stories
Sorry, I don’t want to read your journal entries. Your story about a cool thing you experienced while traveling or while at college has no value to me. It might actually be a cool story, I am not denying you that. But it’s just a story with no application to my life, so why read it. This might be a personal thing, but if I am the kind of reader you want to attract, then don’t waste your time writing up your family vacation.
Example Titles I Avoid:
My Vacation in France
My Time Working on a Cruise ship
My Experience Traveling through Mexico
What I am fine with is using your personal stories as an example of something. Like telling me about how your visit to a Japanese restaurant gave you some insights into Japanese culture. In this case, I learn something about Japanese culture or start to think about it in a new way. That is valuable to me.
Something I Can Google Myself
As the broad heading above suggests, it is hard to pinpoint exactly why I don’t read certain types of articles. Mainly, it is because the titles and introductions sound like something a quick google search could tell me and from a more reliable, authoritative source.
This is not to say that you don’t have authority or expertise, just that I don’t know you and it becomes a gamble with my time and energy. This is bad because I am, no lie, actually more likely to gamble with money than with my time and energy.
Example Titles I Avoid:
How to Book a Budget Trip to Hawaii
China’s Economic Future
Video Games and Education
Titles are Important
Perhaps the big takeaway here is that the reason I don’t read most articles simply comes down to boring titles. They fail to grab my attention and convert me from a scroller to a reader. Your article might contain a hidden gem that I will enjoy reading. However, it is just not worth the time and effort.
But before you go reworking all your titles, know that even if I do click on something, keeping my attention is just as hard as getting it.
What I Like to Read
OK, so you now know what to avoid in order to get me to not scroll past your article. But now that you have my attention, how do you keep it?
Interesting Ideas
I will read any interesting idea, even one that is outside of my area of interest listed above.
What is an interesting idea for me? It is something that makes me think or teaches me something.
It is hard to describe exactly what makes me think, but the easiest way to be interesting is to closely examine something. To take something apart and say that there is an unseen part hidden in the complexity of the topic.
Example Titles I Like:
Taxes are Assumed to be Bad, but Taxes Actually have Great Benefits.
Considering Language from an Ecological Perspective
The Unconsidered Downsides to Solar Power.
These kinds of articles go hand in hand with analytical reading. Analytical reading is critically reading a text, understanding its ideas and arguments in relation to other works on the same topic. This means doing more than simply writing a book report about a book, or even several related books.
If this sounds hard, that is because it is. But that is exactly why I read these kinds of things. Analytical work — both reading and writing — are time consuming. Someone putting in the work and sharing it with me is something that I just can’t pass up. It adds value to my life every time I read it.
**To read more about analytical reading check out the classic book — How to Read a Book by Mortimer J. Adler**
So, Am I Your Ideal Reader? Let Me Know!
I hope that above has given you some insight into at least one avid reader and in the process helped you to become a better writer.
If the above sounds like someone who you would like to read your work, please leave me a comment and let me know who you are and what you write about; maybe even recommend an article of yours to read.
Happy Writing.
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed it and would like to support me, there are several ways, all of which I would greatly appreciate.
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