The problem with taking offense is that it's really hard to figure out what to do with it after you're done using it. Better to just leave it on the table and walk away. Umbrage untaken quietly disappears.
Seth GodinRead
I made a decision to write for my readers, not to try to find more readers for my writing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Focus on creating meaningful content for your current audience rather than chasing new followers.
In this quote, Seth Godin emphasizes the importance of prioritizing the needs and interests of existing readers over the pursuit of attracting additional readership. By making a conscious decision to write for those who already engage with your work, one can foster a more genuine connection and create content that resonates deeply, rather than diluting their message in an attempt to gain popularity.
Themes
WritingReadersContentAuthenticityEngagement
In practice
Example use cases
During a writing workshop, one might use this quote to illustrate the importance of audience-aware content creation.
More from Seth Godin
All quotes →Not adding value is the same as taking it away.
Seth GodinRead
Excellence isn’t about meeting the spec, it’s about setting the spec. It defines what the consumer sees as quality right this minute, and tomorrow, if you’re good, you’ll reset that expectation again
Seth GodinRead
Living with doubt ... is almost always more profitable than living with certainty. _x000D_ People don't like doubt, so they pay money and give up opportunities to avoid it. _x000D_ Entrepreneurshi p is largely about living with doubt. If you need reassurance, you're giving up quite a bit to get it. On the other hand, if you can get in the habit of seeking out uncertainty, you'll have developed a great instinct.
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The danger of the Web is that you can go from idea to public announcement in under ten minutes.
Seth GodinRead
Art isn't only a painting. Art is anything that is creative, passionate and personal. Art is the unique work of a human being created to touch another. Art is created to have an impact, to change someone else.
Seth GodinRead
Similar quotes
Write every day, just to keep in the habit, and remember that whatever you have written is neither as good nor as bad as you think it is. Just keep going, and tell yourself that you will fix it later.
Jane SmileyRead
I don't write for catharsis; I have to write to understand.
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One of the really bad things you can do to your writing is to dress up the vocabulary, looking for long words because you're maybe a little bit ashamed of your short ones. This is like dressing up a household pet in evening clothes. The pet is embarrassed and the person who committed this act of premeditated cuteness should be even more embarrassed.
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Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.
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I consider the process of gestation just as important as when you're actually sitting down putting words to the paper.
Wole SoyinkaRead
I think a lot of the dull parts of first drafts come from a kind of over-managing, intrusive writer who wants to direct traffic. The idea of taking out the parts that the reader could infer is very liberating, and it's weirdly part of radicalizing your work: it allows you to go to new places fast.
Meg WolitzerRead