Writing Without Fear: Cultivating a Mass Readership While Expressing Potentially Offensive Opinions

Is it possible to increase your readership while honestly, and vocally, opining your social and political views on social media?

Introduction

You don’t need to break out the crystal ball for this one: Espousing one’s truth is key to a successful career.

If everyone shared the same opinions, what artistic work could possibly stand out?

I’ve said this repeatedly over the years: A writer must be honest to attain the trust of his or her readers. The same would apply to any artist in general, regardless of media. For the writer, it does not matter if his or her work is fiction or nonfiction; if a writer does not write sincerely from the heart and mind the work will appear disingenuous, perhaps even boring as there are few things less exciting to a reader than an echo chamber.

In a world of social media gone amok, in part due to writers like me who possess a strong social and political conscience and consider honest expression a necessity, showing your authentic self to your readers is always a risk.