Have you ever found yourself in a quiet corner of the internet, pen in hand, dreaming that if you simply write your heart out, an audience will magically appear? It’s a tempting thought, isn’t it? Yet, how many times have we bought into the age-old myth: “Build it, and they will come”? The reality is often a lot less romantic than the fantasy suggests. Many writers—myself included—have clung to the belief that relentless dedication to our craft would inevitably lead us to an audience that has their arms opened wide, ready to embrace our words. Spoiler alert: that’s not how the internet works. If you’re tired of pouring your passion into a black hole with nothing but crickets in reply, it’s time we face some home truths. In this article, we’ll dig into the biggest misconceptions about building an audience and the proactive steps you can take to attract the right readers to your work. Trust me, there’s a way to turn the odds in your favor, and it’s not as daunting as you might imagine. Ready to redefine your approach? LEARN MORE.
The biggest lie they sold you about building an audience
One of the most famous lies ever to grace the internet reads: ‘Build it, and they will come.’
This short but emotive statement underpins more failed ventures than any other in history, and I’m afraid writers are falling victim to it, too.
Similarly, there was a time when I believed those words to be gospel: ‘Keep writing, and eventually, people will read.’ I told myself this lie one too many times before reality hit me like a freight train.
People won’t come. Not unless you give them a reason to. But there’s a way to turn the odds in your favour, and it isn’t what you imagine.
The internet doesn’t favour agreeable people
We’ve become so accustomed to spending time online that we conflate the nature of algorithms and timelines with real life—a costly mistake.
Unlike real life, where we gravitate to people based on character, achievement, and personality, the internet filters most of these out and replaces them with only a few important metrics.
What people say and how they say it.
