Write or Die

Write or Die

Who is Your Ideal Reader?

Lesson 7 of "How to Finally Get Started on that Novel"

Amy Shearn's avatar
Amy Shearn
Nov 27, 2024
∙ Paid
Art by Mariam Chagelishvili

Lesson 7 of 8 from “How to Finally Get Started on that Novel”

Who is your ideal reader? Who is this book for?

This is a question some writers answer before they ever put a pen to paper – which I imagine is terrifically clarifying. (I think of the romance novelist who said in an interview that she wrote for tired women reading w…

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
Amy Shearn's avatar
A guest post by
Amy Shearn
Author of 5 novels, including Animal Instinct (Putnam, 2025) & Dear Edna Sloane (Red Hen Press, 2024). Essays in New York Times Modern Love, Oprah Daily, & elsewhere. Teaches writing & works 1:1 with writers.
Subscribe to Amy
© 2026 Chill Subs · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for writing, podcasting, and media founders.