To whom I write?
Even though I have already authored dozens of independent books and many articles, this question to whom I write has always followed me. Nonetheless, by raising this question, my aim is not to talk about the target demographic audience of my writing. It could indeed be related to that, and it would not be wrong to think this way, but I consider that this approach is more market-driven, whilst, in this article, my goal is slightly different.
I believe that every writer wishes that their texts, novels, poetry, prose, etc., could be read by as many people as possible and, preferably, that they enjoy what they read. After all, as writers, we spend a considerable amount of time and put a lot of energy into weaving words together on paper, polishing them and crafting interesting and engaging stories. Consequently, I think that it is fair enough wishing that people do read them.
However, we also know that there are many independent authors out there and, unfortunately, not every one of them succeeds in being read or, in some cases, they reach just a small number of readers, which in turn becomes very difficult (or virtually impossible) going beyond that point. On the other hand, many indie authors manage to reach a reasonable amount of regular readership. Most probably, it might not be large enough to make a living out of this activity alone but, based in my experience, I know that it is highly rewarding anyway.
Yet, as an indie author, either if you are reasonably successful, very successful, or not that much, I think that the question remains valid, although the actual answer will differ among authors. But, in this case, I think that more important than trying to find the ‘right’ answer, is to keep it alive in our heads because it helps to keep active our internal flame of desire and passion for writing.
I have my own particular and unique mental image of the reader of my texts, and every time I put myself to write, I bring them to the foreground and talk to them. With time, I have learnt that they play an important role of keeping me going forward. However, when for any reason, I am unable to establish a connection with them, I am either also unable to write or my writing does not please me at all. Therefore, it means that if we do not know to whom we are writing, unfortunately, we are no longer writers.
Finally, even though in practical terms this audience to whom you write might not be as big as you wished they were, they still play this important role of encouraging you and fuelling your creativity. Eventually, one day they will increase considerably. We do not know for sure, and only time will tell. However, the most important thing to bear in mind is that a writer should always know to whom they write, because ultimately when we put ourselves to write, we are talking to them and telling them stories they want to read. Furthermore, this dynamic keeps the writing wheel turning.
