Jasper Fforde Quotes

I'm very conscious that I'm an entertainer. Something like 73 percent of my readers are college graduates, so you can't condescend to people. You've got to tell them a story that they will be willing to pay money to read.

Dear though the reader might be, I'd be silly to cater to what the reader wanted.

Everything I publish is for my readers.

I'm not sure the risks I take are any different from what other writers take, since we all serve at the pleasure of the reader.

The relationship between reader and writer is reciprocal in a way. We co-create each other. We are constantly emerging out of the relationship we have with others.

Don't write for who your reader is. Write for what your reader wants to be.

I think all writers are mainly writing for themselves because I believe that most writers are writing based on a need to write. But at the same time, I feel that writers are, of course, writing for their readers, too.

The reality of the writer's world is that you set yourself up for disappointment with every success that you deliver because with every success you raise your readers' expectations.

Readers want a good book; it's a writer's job to give it to them.

My job is to entertain the readers in such a manner that, when they reach the end of the book, they feel like they've gotten their money's worth.

There is nothing wrong with a woman encouraging a man's advances, as long as they are in cash.

I'm writing for entertainment. I like people to reach the end and feel they got their money's worth.

If there are 100 people, I don't anticipate all 100 liking my scenario - but I write it so at least one or two of them will love and get really into that particular story.

The public is composed of numerous groups whose cry to us writers is: 'Comfort me.' 'Amuse me.' 'Touch my sympathies.' 'Make me sad.' 'Make me dream.' 'Make me laugh.' 'Make me shiver.' 'Make me weep.' 'Make me think.'

I go wherever my fare is paid.

The purpose of a writer is to be read, and the criticism which would destroy the power of pleasing must be blown aside

Do you have a dollar on you? I hate to answer questions for nothing.

There's an unwritten compact between you and the reader. If someone enters a bookstore and sets down hard earned money (energy) for your book, you owe that person some entertainment and as much more as you can give.

Listen carefully to the feedback your readers give you. Dont write unless people want you to write, a lot of people write just because they want to write.

That's the reality of what they're going to sell them to the Treasury for.

It was always clear to me that I would have to earn my readers, some I would have to find, some to create.

The critiques I received from my father's community didn't actually have to do with any of the things I'd been afraid of - spiritual or cultural aspects - they were more annoyed that I'd killed off this character or those characters hadn't hooked up or I'd done an open ending and it didn't give them a sense of closure that they were expecting.

If I get enough letters saying you never explained this or that, I suppose I'll have to write another book.

Making sure that the geography and timelines work is always the hardest part of writing. But you owe it to the readers to get it right!

That's what I want as a reader - I want to be confident that the book will do its job.