Letters and Imagination: Mastering the Art of Writing

Audience

The audience of a book refers to the specific group of people that the author intends to target with their work. This includes factors such as age, gender, interests, education level, and more. Identifying your target audience allows you to tailor the content, writing style, and themes of your book to resonate with that particular group. This makes your book more engaging and relatable to readers.

By consistently delivering content that resonates with your target audience, you can build a loyal fanbase of readers who eagerly anticipate your future work which is why I recommend that fanfiction writers decide what type(s) of fanfiction they want to write books on; BTS ff, Blackpink ff or both? You've got to make it clear to your audience what type of fanfiction they can expect from you.

No matter what type of fanfiction one writes we all have a common, general audience: Wattpad readers. They are like no other type of readers. With Wattpad readers as an audience here are some things one should keep in mind:

They are dirty-minded

Not all but most Wattpad readers' mind jumps to sinful places when they read anything remotely related to what appears in smut scenes. Do keep that in mind to avoid using words that might make readers' minds go to sinful places. You don't want your readers to giggle during a serious or sad scene because of your word choice. For example:

Don't write: "Thank you for coming."

Write: "Thank you for showing up/seeing me/meeting me."

They love smut

On the topic of sinfulness, the readers on this app are more likely to open a book if it is 18+ or has a smut warning. It is heartbreaking because some well-written, unique fanfiction books barely get any reads just because there is no smut in them. Therefore, if your storyline and themes allow it, do consider writing at least one smut scene. For your book to do well you have to give the audience what they want.

They read on their phones

Most, if not all, read on their phones; it is what Wattpad is designed for. Keeping this fact in mind while you write is important. It is difficult to read a book if the chapters are just one or two long paragraphs. It might work in other types of books but in Wattpad book please add breaks. Also, keep in mind that most either read books offline or use their mobile data so think about whether any photo(s) or video(s) you put in your book is truly needed or can be removed.

They prefer a causal writing style

In writing, there are about four different styles. Here they are paired with an example sentence:

Formal: "Life needn't be taken with such solemnity."

Casual: "There be no need to take everything in life seriously."

Informal: "Don't take everything so seriously, man."

Vulgar: "Bra, you shouldn't give two shits about everything fucking thing."

You must remember that Wattpad readers are your audience and most of them prefer reading the casual writing style. Even when writing with the informal style will you still get a good number of reads, but not with the formal or vulgar style. There are too many complex, uncommon words present in the formal style which will make it difficult for the Wattpad audience to follow. The vulgar style is, for most readers, too disrespectful and difficult to read without getting annoyed.

They want engagement

Wattpad encourages reader-author interaction. Do talk and reply to your audience because most readers on here want authors to engage with them. Don't be a mysterious person that is unreachable. To your audience, you will come off as rude and ungrateful. So, when your readers comment on your books, leave a message on your message board or send you a private message do reply and say thank you. Also, don't be afraid to ask your audience questions and how they would prefer you do something. You are not writing for bots; you are writing for real people.

They are a young adult (YA) audience

According to official statistics, Wattpad's readers are a younger demographic. Wattpad tends to attract younger readers, including teenagers and young adults. This audience has different reading preferences and interests compared to older, more traditional book readers. Younger readers are open to books that blend genres, such as a mix of fantasy and romance or science fiction with contemporary themes so don't hold back. It's recommended that YA fanfiction feature protagonists who are around the YA audience's age and explore themes such as identity, coming-of-age, personal growth, and others that make them relatable to young readers.

They are a diverse audience

Wattpad has a vast and diverse global community of readers and writers. Wattpad readers are often exposed to a wide range of stories from different cultures and backgrounds, making them more open to diverse storytelling and perspectives. Writers do have to be careful to avoid including a specific culture/religion/etc. because it could confuse or offend readers whose culture/religion/etc. differ. Most stories can be complete without a specific culture/religion/etc in it. The best way to avoid offending or confusing readers is to create a new culture/religion/etc for your book.

It's important to note that reading preferences among readers are highly individual, and not all readers will have the same interests. It's recommended that authors keep their book's target audience in mind while writing and engage with them.