--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: write what readers want to read, which…" description: "\"write what readers want to read, which isn’t necessarily what you want to write.\" — Nicholas Sparks" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/nicholas-sparks-93_books_write-what-readers-want-to-read-which-is_1867614.jpg" --- # write what readers want to read, which isn’t necessarily… ![“write what readers want to read, which isn’t necessarily what you want to write.” quote by Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/nicholas-sparks-93_books_write-what-readers-want-to-read-which-is_1867614.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/nicholas-sparks-93_books_write-what-readers-want-to-read-which-is_1867614.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/nicholas-sparks-93_books_write-what-readers-want-to-read-which-is_1867614.jpg) > “write what readers want to read, which isn’t necessarily what you want to write.” [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Writers often prioritize market demand over personal passion, risking authenticity. **In simple terms:** Writing for readers can conflict with personal desire. Key Takeaway Balance audience and self. Themes creativity market authenticity Mood contemplative inquisitive Type creative practical When to use this quote - novel writing - blogging - content marketing - screenwriting - self‑publishing Key Concepts Literary theory consumer expectations Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide what to write? - What compromises are acceptable? A Different Perspective Following trends may dilute voice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [What you want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-you-want/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I don't want to write for adults. I want to write for readers who can perform miracles. Only children perform miracles when they read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astrid-lindgren/i-don-t-want-to-write-for-adults-i-want-to-write-for-readers-who-can/) [Astrid Lindgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astrid-lindgren/) > [“The effect your readers want is for what they read to trigger in them the sights and sounds and smells of what's happening in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-rhamey/the-effect-your-readers-want-is-for-what-they-read-to-trigger-in-them/) Ray Rhamey > [If you care about who I want to write about, I'll write about the people you want to read about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hilburn/if-you-care-about-who-i-want-to-write-about-i-ll-write-about-the/) [Robert Hilburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hilburn/) > [What I would not like is to be ignored. I write from the heart. I don't write for me. I write for my readers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwin-sanghi/what-i-would-not-like-is-to-be-ignored-i-write-from-the-heart-i-don-t/) [Ashwin Sanghi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwin-sanghi/) > [“Authors write, readers read, money talks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/authors-write-readers-read-money-talks/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [“Why else do we write and write except to move our readers?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-charyn/why-else-do-we-write-and-write-except-to-move-our-readers/) Jerome Charyn > [I made a decision to write for my readers, not to try to find more readers for my writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/i-made-a-decision-to-write-for-my-readers-not-to-try-to-find-more/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [Many of us write because we are readers and have grown up in a long tradition, and we want to be able to add…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosellen-brown/many-of-us-write-because-we-are-readers-and-have-grown-up-in-a-long/) [Rosellen Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosellen-brown/) > [When I write, I have a sort of secret kinship of readers in all countries who don't know each other but each of whom,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teju-cole/when-i-write-i-have-a-sort-of-secret-kinship-of-readers-in-all/) [Teju Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teju-cole/) > [Don't write down to your readers. The ones dumber than you can't read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-bickham/don-t-write-down-to-your-readers-the-ones-dumber-than-you-can-t-read/) Jack Bickham > [Books can truly change our lives: the lives of those who read them, the lives of those who write them. Readers and writers alike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-alexander/books-can-truly-change-our-lives-the-lives-of-those-who-read-them-the/) [Lloyd Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-alexander/) > [A writer doesn't write for his readers, does he? Yet he has to take elementary precautions all the same, to make them comfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-greene/a-writer-doesn-t-write-for-his-readers-does-he-yet-he-has-to-take/) [Graham Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-greene/) > [One can't write for all readers. A poet cannot write for people who don't like poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathalie-sarraute/one-can-t-write-for-all-readers-a-poet-cannot-write-for-people-who/) [Nathalie Sarraute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathalie-sarraute/) > [Don't try to outguess what's going on in publishing, and write what you want to write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-singleton/don-t-try-to-outguess-what-s-going-on-in-publishing-and-write-what/) [George Singleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-singleton/) > [The key thing is, don't worry about if anyone is reading you or not. Figure out your voice and figure out what you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-leitch/the-key-thing-is-don-t-worry-about-if-anyone-is-reading-you-or-not/) [Will Leitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-leitch/) ## More by Nicholas Sparks > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“Nothing is ever lost nor can be lost; the body aged, sluggish,cold… the embers left from earlier fires shall dully flame again”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-is-ever-lost-nor-can-be-lost-the-body-aged-sluggish-cold-the/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [I'm sure you think that I don't understand what you're going through, but I do. It's just that sometimes, our future is dictated by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-m-sure-you-think-that-i-don-t-understand-what-you-re-going-through/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“You weren't out there that long, were you? I can't bear to think that no one found you right away." Noah shook his head.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-weren-t-out-there-that-long-were-you-i-can-t-bear-to-think-that/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“And in your smile, I will live forever”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/and-in-your-smile-i-will-live-forever/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [When we first met, I didn't want to get involved with anyone. I didn't have the time or energy, and I wasn't sure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/when-we-first-met-i-didn-t-want-to-get-involved-with-anyone-i-didn-t/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“There is something terrible in the moments after waking up, when the subconscious knows that something terrible has happened but before all the memories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-is-something-terrible-in-the-moments-after-waking-up-when-the/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [There is nothing like love. You should try it.” Thibault shrugged. “Maybe one day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-is-nothing-like-love-you-should-try-it-thibault-shrugged-maybe/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“more time she’d spent with him, the more convinced she became that he was by far the sexiest guy she’d ever met. Who else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/more-time-she-d-spent-with-him-the-more-convinced-she-became-that-he/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Dear John, tell me everything. Write it all down, that way, we’ll be with each other all the time, even if we’re not with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/dear-john-tell-me-everything-write-it-all-down-that-way-we-ll-be-with/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [You were spying on us?" "It was kind of hard not to. You were right there by the workshop with Will. it looked like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/you-were-spying-on-us-it-was-kind-of-hard-not-to-you-were-right-there/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [There are lots of real men out there - men who could fall in love with you at the drop of a hat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/there-are-lots-of-real-men-out-there-men-who-could-fall-in-love-with/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [...nothing wonderful lasted forever. Joy was as fleeting as a shooting star that crossed the evening sky, ready to blink out at any moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-wonderful-lasted-forever-joy-was-as-fleeting-as-a-shooting/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [He put his arms around her. “Well, in my defense, then, whatever I did seemed to work, didn't it?” She sighed. “I suppose.” “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/he-put-his-arms-around-her-well-in-my-defense-then-whatever-i-did/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [I don't know. I really don't. While I was in the living room, I kept asking myself what I really wanted in life." She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-don-t-know-i-really-don-t-while-i-was-in-the-living-room-i-kept/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) [Explore all 1,309 Nicholas Sparks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "write what readers want to read, which isn’t necessarily what you want to write.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nicholas Sparks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/write-what-readers-want-to-read-which-isn-t-necessarily-what-you-want/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/write-what-readers-want-to-read-which-isn-t-necessarily-what-you-want/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/nicholas-sparks-93_books_write-what-readers-want-to-read-which-is_1867614.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/nicholas-sparks-93_books_write-what-readers-want-to-read-which-is_1867614.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/nicholas-sparks-93_books_write-what-readers-want-to-read-which-is_1867614.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“write what readers want to read, which isn’t necessarily what you want to write.” — Nicholas Sparks", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Nicholas Sparks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "write what readers want to read,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/write-what-readers-want-to-read-which-isn-t-necessarily-what-you-want/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/write-what-readers-want-to-read-which-isn-t-necessarily-what-you-want/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```