World Class Poetry Blog

The Multiple Audiences: Which Ones Matter?
28 May 2008, the poet @ 7:48 pm

It’s occurred to me that there are multiple layers of audience. It is difficult to define just one audience and stick with that, although if you can then that is probably the best approach to producing good literature. Write for your audience.

Often, though, we find ourselves speaking to more than one audience. I’ve discovered that the multiple layers of audience have some overlap, but it isn’t quite as linear as we might imagine. Here is a list of various audiences and where they fit in to the literary pantheon:

• Local - Sometimes we need only walk outside our back door to see our audience. A local tourism guide may be the extent of this literary achievement, but it has an audience. People in Bangkok, Thailand might not have much of an interest in your Ode To The Garbage Man, but the garbage man might, and your fellow local citizens may get a kick out of it as well. The local audience, however, is not divided by mere subject matter. It could be, but it isn’t necessarily. It could be divided by intent, style, or even skill of the author. If your writing is not interesting enough then it may only appeal to a local audience even if you intend it for a wider audience. Rest assured, we do not always get to choose our audiences.
• Family - Family heirlooms and genealogies are usually aimed at those who care enough about the subject. It may be an extended family project or simply a hobby for your nuclear relatives, but many family histories are interesting enough to find an audience outside of those strictly related by blood. Nevertheless, it is not any less of a literary achievement to aim for iconic status within one’s own circle of relativity.
• Regional - The first time I heard someone refer to a poem I wrote as “regional” I was offended. What did that mean? I realized that a particular poem did not appeal to those who viewed life through a lens not familiar with the same cultural windows. Even within the same country you will find people of various regions who see the world through slightly different lenses. New Yorkers have a different view of the world than Texans. Bavarians look at life in a different way than their Northern German counterparts. Shiites and Sunnis may all be Muslim, but they come from different sects within the same tribe and that accounts for certain differences. Sectarianism is different than regionalism, but they are similar and sometimes there is a huge overlap.
• Sectarian - Let’s face it, we are all tribal by nature. My tribe may not be superior to your tribe, but we do have our uniqueness. If my literature doesn’t appeal to anyone outside of my own tribe then it might simply be sectarian. Sometimes, this type of literary achievement may not be appreciated at all by those outside of the tribe. It could even be offensive. Certain parts of the Bible, which were written during a highly segregated epoch to appeal to a particular sect at a specific time in history, are good examples of this type of literature.
• National - National is one step above regional. National literature appeals strongly to a people’s sense of patriotism and a country’s code of honor. It may, like sectarian literature, be offensive to someone outside of the culture, but it is highly regarded from within the culture. Robert Burns is still considered an iconic figure in Scotland and Walt Whitman has become something of the same thing in America. National literature can have a strong influence in uniting a people of a specific geography against their enemies.
• Demographic - Some literature appeals to a certain demographic. It may move beyond the geographic into the psychological or hit upon people who share a particular emotional bond or human experience. African-American literature, chick flicks, children’s poetry, literature that hails the wonder of manhood, these are all types of demographic literature.
• Universal - Literature that hits its highest level of achievement appeals to a universal sense of what it means to be human. It transcends the national or the demographic, moves beyond the sectarian and cultural, and gives us all a reason to bond. The universal in literature can speak to any people any where, those of the past as well as those of the future, it is not limited by culture, language, experience, or creed. Anyone can relate to it. Shakespeare’s plays have spoken to people from all walks of life in many different time periods. They succeed as well today as they did the day there were written. This is because the themes and experiences of the characters provoke a sense of empathy in the audience and we find ourselves relating to them. Well-written literature that transcends the prejudices of its time and moves beyond the issues of the moment aspire to the universal.

Genre-specific literature has a hard time reaching the universal because it tends to appeal to a specific prejudice or preference within its audience. That isn’t necessarily demographic, though it could be. Women tend to enjoy romances more, but you’ll likely find men who read them as well.

It is possible for genre-specific literature to reach any of these levels of literature. Certain science fiction writers have presented universal themes that have crossed demographic and national dividing lines. Other genre writers have done so as well. Many times, a writer can aspire to reach a specific audience and is found by another. At other times, he may try to work to inspire those within a narrow circle, but the work catches on and appeals to a wider audience than intended. Usually, good literature is found by the audience that needs to experience it so a writer need not concern herself too much with the audience, but it does help to keep in mind who your audience is and what you want your work to accomplish for that audience. Just remember, the lines are always moving.

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