--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now, practically all reviewers have…" description: "\"Now, practically all reviewers have academic aspirations. The people from the universities are used to a captive audience, but the literary journalist ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/v-s-pritchett-13789_academic_now-practically-all-reviewers-have-acade_1679894.jpg" --- # Now, practically all reviewers have academic aspirations… ![“Now, practically all reviewers have academic aspirations. The people from the universities are used to a captive audience, but the literary journalist has to please his audience.” quote by V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/v-s-pritchett-13789_academic_now-practically-all-reviewers-have-acade_1679894.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/v-s-pritchett-13789_academic_now-practically-all-reviewers-have-acade_1679894.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ea/v-s-pritchett-13789_academic_now-practically-all-reviewers-have-acade_1679894.jpg) > “Now, practically all reviewers have academic aspirations. The people from the universities are used to a captive audience, but the literary journalist has to please his audience.” [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literary journalists must balance academic expectations with audience appeal, unlike university scholars who address captive listeners. **In simple terms:** Journalists must please readers, not just scholars. Key Takeaway Know your audience. Themes journalism academia audience engagement Mood analytical pragmatic Type instructional reflective When to use this quote - magazine articles - editorial pieces Key Concepts writing strategy public communication Questions to Reflect On - How do you adapt scholarly work for a broad audience? - What compromises are acceptable? A Different Perspective Academic style may alienate general readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) [Aspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspiration/) [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Journalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalist/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reviewers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reviewers/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [Since I make my living as a literary journalist, not a book scout, I spend inordinate amounts of time either reading or writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dirda/since-i-make-my-living-as-a-literary-journalist-not-a-book-scout-i/) [Michael Dirda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dirda/) > [“When a journalist in the audience asked if sticking solely to RSS feeds made her miss the “broader picture,” she snapped, “I’m not trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-bauerlein/when-a-journalist-in-the-audience-asked-if-sticking-solely-to-rss/) Mark Bauerlein > [I can't write a scene unless I've visualized it. Unless I can actually see it, and that's why a lot of reviewers have said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-van-lustbader/i-can-t-write-a-scene-unless-i-ve-visualized-it-unless-i-can-actually/) [Eric Van Lustbader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-van-lustbader/) > [Reviewer: 'One of your themes was very similar to one of Beethoven's!' Brahms replied, 'Of course it is. Everyone steals - the important thing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-brahms/reviewer-one-of-your-themes-was-very-similar-to-one-of-beethoven-s/) [Johannes Brahms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-brahms/) > [Who shall dispute what the Reviewers say? Their word's sufficient; and to ask a reason, In such a state as theirs, is downright treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-churchill/who-shall-dispute-what-the-reviewers-say-their-word-s-sufficient-and/) [Charles Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-churchill/) > [In fact, some reviewers have said that as they got into the story they forgot that the protagonist is a black woman. They were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-darden/in-fact-some-reviewers-have-said-that-as-they-got-into-the-story-they/) [Christopher Darden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-darden/) > [Writing prejudicial, off-putting reviews is a precise exercise in applied black magic. The reviewer can draw free-floating disagreeable associations to a book by implying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/writing-prejudicial-off-putting-reviews-is-a-precise-exercise-in/) [William S. 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And I think showing them to people that you value their opinion is important, but once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-cooper/i-think-testing-films-are-a-great-tool-and-i-think-showing-them-to/) [Bradley Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-cooper/) > [I think my favorite fact about myself is that I have never been dismayed by a critic's bilge or bile, and have never once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/i-think-my-favorite-fact-about-myself-is-that-i-have-never-been/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) > [I believe passionately in preemptive pessimism, especially before a book comes out. I expect the worst both from reviewers and sales, and then, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-beevor/i-believe-passionately-in-preemptive-pessimism-especially-before-a/) [Antony Beevor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-beevor/) > [A writer writes a book. People read it. You don't know what they're reading, really. You read a review and think, "That is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-salter/a-writer-writes-a-book-people-read-it-you-don-t-know-what-they-re/) [James Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-salter/) > [As a children's author, reviewers are generally very nice to you. I only ever wrote one adult book and received such a kicking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/as-a-children-s-author-reviewers-are-generally-very-nice-to-you-i/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) > [“Authors, reviews are not for you. They are not for you. Authors, reviews are not for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacia-kane/authors-reviews-are-not-for-you-they-are-not-for-you-authors-reviews/) [Stacia Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacia-kane/) > [Sometimes I am a collector of data, and only a collector, and am likely to be gross and miserly, piling up notes, pleased with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/sometimes-i-am-a-collector-of-data-and-only-a-collector-and-am-likely/) [Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/) ## More by V. S. Pritchett > [The mark of genius is an incessant activity of mind. Genius is a spiritual greed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/the-mark-of-genius-is-an-incessant-activity-of-mind-genius-is-a/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [There is more magic in sin if it is not committed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/there-is-more-magic-in-sin-if-it-is-not-committed/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [Queen Victoria - a mixture of national landlady and actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/queen-victoria-a-mixture-of-national-landlady-and-actress/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [The State, that cawing rookery of committees and subcommittees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/the-state-that-cawing-rookery-of-committees-and-subcommittees/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [Like many popular best-sellers, he was a very sad and solemn man who took himself too seriously and his art not seriously enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/like-many-popular-best-sellers-he-was-a-very-sad-and-solemn-man-who/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [The Canadian spirit is cautious, observant and critical where the American is assertive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/the-canadian-spirit-is-cautious-observant-and-critical-where-the/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [It is less the business of the novelist to tell us what happened than to show how it happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/it-is-less-the-business-of-the-novelist-to-tell-us-what-happened-than/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [The detective novel is the art-for-art's-sake of our yawning Philistinism, the classic example of a specialized form of art removed from contact with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/the-detective-novel-is-the-art-for-art-s-sake-of-our-yawning/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [A natural New Yorker is a native of the present tense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/a-natural-new-yorker-is-a-native-of-the-present-tense/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [A short story is. . .frequently the celebration of character at bursting point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/a-short-story-is-frequently-the-celebration-of-character-at-bursting/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [The wrongs of childhood and upbringing have made a large and obsessional contribution to autobiography and the novel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/the-wrongs-of-childhood-and-upbringing-have-made-a-large-and/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [Prep school, public school, university: these now tedious influences standardize English autobiography, giving the educated Englishman the sad if fascinating appearance of a stuffed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/prep-school-public-school-university-these-now-tedious-influences/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [How extraordinary it is that one feels most guilt about the sins one is unable to commit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/how-extraordinary-it-is-that-one-feels-most-guilt-about-the-sins-one/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [The difference between farce and humour in literature is, I suppose, that farce strums louder and louder on one string, while humour varies its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/the-difference-between-farce-and-humour-in-literature-is-i-suppose/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) > [On one plane, the very great writers and the popular romancers of the lower order always meet. They use all of themselves, helplessly, unselectively.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/v-s-pritchett/on-one-plane-the-very-great-writers-and-the-popular-romancers-of-the/) [V. S. Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) [Explore all 49 V. S. Pritchett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/v-s-pritchett/) ## More Academic quotes > [When I went to college, as much as my parents emphasized academic achievement, they emphasized marriage even more. 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