"You have to, first and foremost, write for yourself—not for friends, lovers, or the marketplace"
There was a famous writer (I forget who exactly) who said that he was really writing for about 12 people. That was the audience of his ideal readers.
If you're doing litfic, you're really writing for a niche audience. You might get very lucky and expand your readership outside of that. But it starts with the niche, with those 12 (or however many) ideal readers.
"You have to, first and foremost, write for yourself—not for friends, lovers, or the marketplace"
There was a famous writer (I forget who exactly) who said that he was really writing for about 12 people. That was the audience of his ideal readers.
If you're doing litfic, you're really writing for a niche audience. You might get very lucky and expand your readership outside of that. But it starts with the niche, with those 12 (or however many) ideal readers.