Do you write for a gendered audience?

[EmilyMiller]

My Little Emily Dreams series is first person present directed at an explicitly male reader (though I have had females say they like some of them), but otherwise, I don’t really have any gender in mind when writing.

I don’t necessarily think of only women readers when writing lesbian for example.

How about you?

Em

 

[KeithD]

In this account, I'm writing for the actively engaging gay male. Fine with me if others read the stories, but I do have a specific target audience for the stories written in this account.

 

[StillStunned]

A lot of my stories I write specifically for my wife. I think about what she enjoys, and try to appeal to that.

For the rest, even though I mostly find myself writing from a female POV, I think it's fairly neutral. I try not to exclude anyone, and that means not focusing too much on what one group of readers might prefer.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Depends I've written some 'wankers' in the gay category that, like KeithD said, are implicitly targeted to gay men, but mostly I write in a generic sense. Almost all of my stories are romances at heart, so it that targeting a female audience? I don't believe so.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Depends I've written some 'wankers' in the gay category that, like KeithD said, are implicitly targeted to gay men, but mostly I write in a generic sense. Almost all of my stories are romances at heart, so it that targeting a female audience? I don't believe so.

It’s a trope that women like romance and men like sex stories. In my experience, both like both.

Em

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

It’s a trope that women like romance and men like sex stories. In my experience, both like both.

Em

I'm finding that to be true, too. AS for your stories, it could be that some women inject themselves into your MC in their minds. Who wouldn't want to be the inimitable Miss Em?

 

[SimonDoom]

Not really. I would say that many of my stories of the "hot wife" type are, to me, more or less male fantasies, so in that sense they might be pitched more to a male readership. But I've had plenty of women readers tell me they like these stories, too. It gives me pleasure to think my story has been enjoyed by both men and women.

I had one male reader describe one of my stories as "woke" and "femifacist," which I thought was hilarious and made me feel proud that I'd expanded my range as a writer!

 

[EmilyMiller]

I'm finding that to be true, too. AS for your stories, it could be that some women inject themselves into your MC in their minds. Who wouldn't want to be the inimitable Miss Em?

I’ve had a few women say that to me. It’s deeply flattering. Can’t think of a better plaudit to be honest.

Em

 

[EmilyMiller]

I had one male reader describe one of my stories as "woke" and "femifacist," which I thought was hilarious and made me feel proud that I'd expanded my range as a writer!

Woke is the shibboleth of our time.

Em

 

[Voboy]

I've never bought into the idea that gender makes all that much difference in a reader, or a writer. I doubt there's a "typical male" or "typical female" reader, and I definitely think that trying to target one or the other is not all that useful (at least for me).

I write for myself as a reader, so to the extent that I'm male, I guess that's the answer. But I've read plenty of "male-aimed" strokers I didn't like, and plenty of "female-aimed" slow burns that I did like. So I don't reckon it matters all that much.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Woke is the shibboleth of our time.

Em

You should be required to send out Thesauri to people that follow you.

 

[EmilyMiller]

You should be required to send out Thesauri to people that follow you.

Indubitably

Em

 

[Devinter]

I usually tend to have a target audience in mind. Sometimes it's a specific gender, sometimes it's a specific group of people, and if it's a fetish story I lean into it extremely heavily since I imagine that's the main appeal for most. But the genders vary!

I wrote one specifically for female readers, and it's a Lesbian story too. It was the 2nd Person POV challenge one, that I also made just 750 words. (Here if someone wants to read it: 750 Word Challenge - Only Her )

It was actually very interesting to write in such a different way, and I will be doing more of that in the future. Otherwise, I'd say most of my work CAN appeal to both genders, though there's some that's definitely more popular among a male audience, and a few that's the opposite! (I've especially gotten a lot of feedback emails from 'older ladies' who thank me for making Mature women feel beautiful.)

I want to attempt a transgender-focused story eventually, but I need to do a lot of research before I attempt to tackle that or I fear I won't do it justice.

 

[HordHolm]

I don't specifically write with the idea that one group will be more likely to like something, but in general I expect that any appeal I have is more to male readers. I would be flattered to have a larger female audience, as it would (probably) mean that I would be better at writing something outside my direct experience.

 

[SimonDoom]

Woke is the shibboleth of our time.

Em

I don't agree with that at all. I think it's a very real thing, and obviously so. I get into these conversations with my daughter, who is well left of me. People under 30 have a VERY different way of looking at things than people over 50 like me. This generation is much less liberal in the classical sense. But enough of that; I don't want to misdirect the thread into politics.

Regardless, I was happy to see I could poke that bear. I think it's enjoyable to know you can successfully take on different guises as a writer.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I don't ever really think about it. To some extent there are differences in taste, but there is so much overlap I don't feel it is worth worrying about.
Then factor in the audience here has self selected to be here and the difference gets smaller.

 

[ChloeTzang]

.......I don’t really have any gender in mind when writing.
.......How about you?

My target audience is primarily male but I write for myself as well, and I've picked up a surprising number of female readers along the way, so I guess while my audience is both, the audience I have in my mind when I write is male but I also write stories I personally enjoy writing. Always has been from when I started making up stories and whispering them in my boyfriend's ear. LOL. It's a personal thing - I like inspiring guys, it's been my hobby since I was old enough to be interested in inspiring guys and I enjoy it.

Chloe Tzang - the stories the inspired a million erections! Hey, maybe I should change my sig. LOL.

 

[Devinter]

I don't agree with that at all. I think it's a very real thing, and obviously so. I get into these conversations with my daughter, who is well left of me. People under 30 have a VERY different way of looking at things than people over 50 like me. This generation is much less liberal in the classical sense. But enough of that; I don't want to misdirect the thread into politics.

Regardless, I was happy to see I could poke that bear. I think it's enjoyable to know you can successfully take on different guises as a writer.

A shibboleth can also be a divider, in a sense. The biblical story is quite brutal. It was used as a test-word or password to distinguish people's origins. Some of them could not properly pronounce the "Sh" sound and basically said Sibbolet. And this ended up with them getting killed. Ouch.

From Wikipedia, under modern usage, it says:
"It is also sometimes used in a broader sense to mean jargon, the proper use of which identifies speakers as members of a particular group or subculture." - which I certainly think applies. Woke people don't usually refer to themselves as Woke, but they might refer to the older generation as a Boomer in a derogatory way instead, for example.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

A shibboleth can also be a divider, in a sense. The biblical story is quite brutal. It was used as a test-word or password to distinguish people's origins. Some of them could not properly pronounce the "Sh" sound and basically said Sibbolet. And this ended up with them getting killed. Ouch.

From Wikipedia, under modern usage, it says:
"It is also sometimes used in a broader sense to mean jargon, the proper use of which identifies speakers as members of a particular group or subculture." - which I certainly think applies. Woke people don't usually refer to themselves as Woke, but they might refer to the older generation as a Boomer in a derogatory way instead, for example.

Or a more recent, and equally horrific, example.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsley_massacre

 

[SimonDoom]

A shibboleth can also be a divider, in a sense. The biblical story is quite brutal. It was used as a test-word or password to distinguish people's origins. Some of them could not properly pronounce the "Sh" sound and basically said Sibbolet. And this ended up with them getting killed. Ouch.

From Wikipedia, under modern usage, it says:
"It is also sometimes used in a broader sense to mean jargon, the proper use of which identifies speakers as members of a particular group or subculture." - which I certainly think applies. Woke people don't usually refer to themselves as Woke, but they might refer to the older generation as a Boomer in a derogatory way instead, for example.

I suppose in a sense this is true, although I'd say it's more accurate to say it's true of certain statements and behaviors that generally fall under the umbrella of "woke" than the term itself, because people who espouse "woke" attitudes seem determined to deny that there is any such thing. Arguments that incorporate the word "woke" tend to be like ships passing in the night.

 

[MrPixel]

...shibboleth...

Oo! Oo! I know! Pick me, teach!

The "President Bartlet" character in an episode of The West Wing used this word in its precise context, portraying a diplomatic row with China. The US was being asked by a splinter Christian sect in China for asylum for the entire congregation. Bartlet determined that the group leader's use of the word "shibboleth" in their asylum request was determinate in identifying their cause as genuine.

 

[Djmac1031]

A majority of my stuff, especially my early stuff, is 1st Person Male Perspective. So I'd assume it appeals more towards men who can put themselves in the MMC position.

That said I don't write with just that in mind and I do hope women (or any gender and or sexual orientation) can find my stories enjoyable as well, and I've made efforts to branch out and try different approaches in that regard.

Still, I'd be willing to bet at least 90% of my followers are men.

 

[AchtungNight]

I don’t write for a specific gender audience, no. How could I? Lots of women and men are different from one another in philosophy. Some people are conservative, liberal, open minded on various issues and not so much on others… other than adults into the subjects I depict, why should I limit my audience? Other than my own tastes, of course. I have plenty of male and female readers. Many have given me positive feedback. Keep it up, y’all.

 

[Rob_Royale]

No not really. The only story I worried about that on was my rape fantasy story, so I made sure it was acceptable to female readers with that fantasy.

 

[AchtungNight]

No not really. The only story I worried about that on was my rape fantasy story, so I made sure it was acceptable to female readers with that fantasy.

I work to make sure my stories are acceptable to male and female readers too, of various philosophies. I'm into rape rescue over rape fantasy stories, but I too follow this philosophy. Hope I'm doing okay since it's not entirely up to me.