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In nonfictional literature, the general reader is the
In nonfictional literature, the general reader is the target audience
The target audience is the intended audience or readership of a publication, advertisement, or other message catered specifically to the previously intended audience. In marketing and advertising, the target audience is a particular group of cons ...
consisting of those without a specialized knowledge of a particular subject. The American writer Brander Matthews
James Brander Matthews (February 21, 1852 – March 31, 1929) was an American academic, writer and literary critic. He was the first full-time professor of dramatic literature at Columbia University in New York and played a significant role in est ...
described the general reader as "the average man and woman of average intelligence and of average education." In the Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
, the increase in scientific writing
Scientific writing is about science, with the implication that the writing is done ''by scientists'' and for an audience that primarily includes ''peers''those with sufficient expertise to follow in detail. (The similar term " science writing" in ...
for general readers began as access to formal education spread among the general public, leading to the genre known as pop science. The idea of targeting books for general readers has been criticized by academics Alison Jones and Leah Tether, who both consider the concept to be ill-defined and unhelpful for reaching audiences. Tether notes the widespread usage of the term by 1931, with the American librarian Douglas Waples
Douglas Waples (March 3, 1893 – April 25, 1978) was a pioneer of the University of Chicago Graduate Library School in the areas of print communication and reading behavior. Waples authored one of the first books on library research methodolo ...
using the term to understand the genres of books which would be most useful to the visitors of a library. In his article "What Subjects Appeal to the General Reader?", Waples explains the difficulty of figuring out the appropriate books to purchase in consideration of the divergent interests of most readers.
References
Bibliography
* * * * {{Lit-stub Reading (process) Non-fiction literature