WHO DO YOU SERVE? In my first few years of writing online, I let a couple of critical comments get to me. These readers thought that my criticism of the default path was too harsh. Their disapproval stayed in my head and my writing became too safe. But eventually, I realized I wasn’t writing for them. I was writing for people like me: those

As the author, you’ll typically be more experienced than your readers. To write something useful, you’ll need to get back inside their heads and see the topic from their perspective. This sort of “reader empathy” allows you to escape the curse of knowledge as well as to anticipate common questions, objections, concerns, and confusions.

No part of your situation is more vital to your success than your specific audience—whether that means your customers, prospects, readers, viewers, listeners, or even a boss or client you’re trying to help or persuade. For whom are you creating your work? Ask the right questions about them.