Target audience is such a very Anglo-centric term (and concern) to me as never before living in the UK did I realise I was meant to read certain books/writers/stories on account of my age and gender but without consideration for my personal taste or curiosity to explore beyond the obvious.
I don’t think people in the past were put off reading the Iliad just because they hadn’t fought the Troian war and so no one should feel they cannot enjoy a story today just because it’s happened to be written by someone very different from them.
That’s precisely the beauty of literature: it allows you to inhabit life from someone else’s point of view.
I've sometimes fallen into the trap, but it's more likely after the event. I think it's a reflection on the marketing rather than the book itself. I read what would probably be described as a young adult novel and after I read it, I noticed all the blurb was from people I'd never heard of - it turned out they were all celebrities known to young adults, probably unknown to the middle-aged.
That said, I didn't read 'Giovanni's Room' first time round because the copy I was offered had an awful cover (I remember thinking it made Mills & Boon look sophisticated). Years later, getting a copy with an OK cover and I raced through it.
Yes, I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover (Dur!) but I can be that shallow - at times.
I smiled when I saw Baldwin, Maupin, and Waters on your list, thinking of many happy hours spent reading their work. Now I have to try out Juno Dawson!
The "target audience" thing is such a problem when it leads to people refusing to put books with female (or Black, or queer) protagonists into the hands of boys. I can't think of anything more boring than only reading about middle aged, middle class, cishet white women, even if they are "relatable".
Justin! Thank you so much for mentioning me in this excellent list. Also this is just bang on re: target audiences - you’ve articulated something I’ve often struggled to explain especially to people in the industry. Now I can point them to this!
Target audience is such a very Anglo-centric term (and concern) to me as never before living in the UK did I realise I was meant to read certain books/writers/stories on account of my age and gender but without consideration for my personal taste or curiosity to explore beyond the obvious.
I don’t think people in the past were put off reading the Iliad just because they hadn’t fought the Troian war and so no one should feel they cannot enjoy a story today just because it’s happened to be written by someone very different from them.
That’s precisely the beauty of literature: it allows you to inhabit life from someone else’s point of view.
Thanks for the recommendations!
I've sometimes fallen into the trap, but it's more likely after the event. I think it's a reflection on the marketing rather than the book itself. I read what would probably be described as a young adult novel and after I read it, I noticed all the blurb was from people I'd never heard of - it turned out they were all celebrities known to young adults, probably unknown to the middle-aged.
That said, I didn't read 'Giovanni's Room' first time round because the copy I was offered had an awful cover (I remember thinking it made Mills & Boon look sophisticated). Years later, getting a copy with an OK cover and I raced through it.
Yes, I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover (Dur!) but I can be that shallow - at times.
A cover is very important! There’s a book I really want to read but I refuse to buy because the paperback cover is so horrible.
I smiled when I saw Baldwin, Maupin, and Waters on your list, thinking of many happy hours spent reading their work. Now I have to try out Juno Dawson!
Hope you enjoy her work!
Very excellent point re target audience. I’ve been guilty of this too but yes, reading across so many different perspectives is vital. 👏🏻🫶🏻
Few better ways to find out about the world than read a novel!
The "target audience" thing is such a problem when it leads to people refusing to put books with female (or Black, or queer) protagonists into the hands of boys. I can't think of anything more boring than only reading about middle aged, middle class, cishet white women, even if they are "relatable".
Yeah it’s very frustrating as an author and a reader.
Justin! Thank you so much for mentioning me in this excellent list. Also this is just bang on re: target audiences - you’ve articulated something I’ve often struggled to explain especially to people in the industry. Now I can point them to this!
My pleasure! Thank you for writing so many bangers!
Thanks so much for so many great recs!
Thank you for reading!