Complicacy of audience levels

Matters get complicated when a document has different levels of audience – primary, immediate and secondary – who have different interests and/or subject knowledge. Such cases make it difficult to imagine who you are writing to. A solution to this problem is to include a section that gives background and definitions of terminology for novices, and/or to include an appendix with more technical details for experts. This way you would be distributing information in a clearly marked and accessible way to the different groups of readers. Returning to the example of the article to the editor, you should include a letter with your article explaining to the editor your goals in writing the article, and justifying your content and stylistic choices (indeed article submissions are generally accompanied by a proposal). This way you address the editor’s concerns, and cater for your primary audience’s anticipated questions. These factors of audience analysis will become increasingly familiar and relevant as you progress through your writing experience.

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