Broadening Your Audience
Intergenerational Feedback
Dear Writer,
As a community college professor and a parent of young adults, I have the advantage of interacting with students of all ages on a regular basis, from 16 - 80, and this experience has really informed my practice as an editor of creative nonfiction and poetry. Read on for some tips on how to make sure your essay, poem, or memoir is appealing to (and understandable by) multiple generations — and why you should care.
1. Fact Check
One thing that drives older readers bananas is when historical facts and scenes are just wrong or impossible. Some actual scenarios I’ve encountered included a cover designer including jet contrails on a cover for a World War II book (jets were not in use during WWII); a poem that referenced a cell phone being used prior to 1990 (unlikely if not impossible); and references to countries that had different names during the historical period of the book. Doing your research and having an older reader can help avoid these issues and assist with any revisions that might be necessary for accuracy.
2. Sensitivity Check
Years ago, I knew author who wrote a memoir about their experience entering the queer community in the 1980’s – 1990’s. Terminology regularly used in the LGBTQ+ community was very different than language used today. In the book, the author related their struggle with the use of pronouns during this time, related stories of discrimination during that time period, and discussed laws in place (and not in place) during that era. When it was picked up by a press, a younger sensitivity reader was hired to check the book for terminology, presentation, etc. and provide opinions on how it would land with younger LBGTQ+ audiences.
The resulting critique was at times critical not just of the author’s inconsistent terminology (which changed throughout the book because terminology in general use changed over time) but, in some ways quite unfairly, of them as a person – their choices made during a time when historically, things were very different in terms of options, legal rights, general sentiment, and more. While some of the critique was warranted, an entire story thread ended up being deleted because of the publisher’s fear that it would offend today’s audiences. Was this the right or wrong decision? Probably the right one, in terms of book sales. But a portion of the truth also was deleted, because today’s audiences and sensibilities couldn’t understand it, and explaining the background necessary to understand it would take too much space. This scenario is a common one when older writers write about times when values and public behavior differed from today, and if you are writing something like that, it’s wise to have a sensitivity reader give you honest feedback so you can make informed decisions about what to include, how to maintain consistency, and how audiences might react to the book.
3. “Test of Time” Check
While we all enjoy a book, essay, or poem with pop culture references, or even entirely based on something like a Taylor Swift song, in reality, those works will have short shelf lives unless by some miracle that basis of the work enters into the permanent cultural lexicon. In this era of fragmented and curated content, there just aren’t that many popular works that rise to the level of being remembered for very long. On top of that, many pop culture references are quite generation specific, and mean nothing to older and/or younger readers.
Is this work only meant to last a year or two? Can it be published in time to still be relevant, if so? Those are questions publishers will ask if your work seems very timely.
Another option, especially if pop culture or slang references are sprinkled throughout for effect or drama, is to delete them and make the work more timeless. I remember reading books that were written in the 1970’s and included slang like “groovy” and “dig it” and immediately abandoning them because they seemed dated. Chances are that the slang in use today will be viewed the same way in twenty years, so why include it if it isn’t integral to the book itself?
4. AI Check
You know how women who have too much plastic surgery look the same? Duck lips, stretched skin, no facial movement because of Bo-Tox, tattooed eyebrows? Text that has been written and/or edited with AI is just as obvious – boring vanilla slop with no quirks, no voice. Plastic, overdone, and attractive only to those who have bought into the beauty myth – much like those addicted to plastic surgery.
While this isn’t limited to one generation or another – just as many more mature writers are trying it out as younger ones – it is concerning. There aren’t shortcuts to that feeling of accomplishment you get when you finally get an idea to shine on the page, or when you make that one little editing tweak that makes everything crystal clear.
Do your own writing. Period. Isn’t the whole point of writing the joys and frustrations of the process? If not, you can make more money doing something else. Trust me.
To write a book that appeals across generations, center it on a universal need or emotion, be it the need to feel loved, the experience of grief, the work it takes to repair a relationship, or anything else. It’s said that by the age of 18, we have felt every emotion necessary to empathize with a good story – and to be able to write a good story. That doesn’t go away as we get older, it just gets more diversified and rich. Here’s to bringing together generations over good literature. I hope you get a chance to share a poem, story, or essay with your loved ones this holiday season, too.
Warmly,
Kris