Skip to content

Books Quote by Stephen King

“You can’t please all of the readers all of the time; you can’t please even some of the readers all of the time, but you really ought to try to please at least some of the readers some of the time. I think William Shakespeare said that.” quote by Stephen King
Download Open image
““You can’t please all of the readers all of the time; you can’t please even some of the readers all of the time, but you really ought to try to please at least some of the readers some of the time. I think William Shakespeare said that.””

Stephen King

About This Quote

Source Interview: Stephen King on Writing, 2000

Balancing audience expectations is impossible; aim to satisfy at least a portion of readers consistently.

In simple terms: Try to please some readers regularly.

Key Takeaway

Focus on a core audience.

Themes

writing audience expectations

Mood

reflective pragmatic

Type

advice literary.

When to use this quote

  • novel drafting
  • blog posts
  • marketing copy
  • public speaking

Key Concepts

literary criticism reader engagement

Questions to Reflect On

  • Who are your core readers?
  • How do you measure success with a subset?
A Different Perspective

Not all readers can be satisfied, and targeting a niche may limit broader appeal.

2.9 out of 5 (6 ratings)

More by Stephen King

Explore all 3,589 Stephen King quotes

More Books quotes

Browse all 59,485 Books quotes