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The Dynamics of Text and Framing Phenomena: Historical approaches to paratext and metadiscourse in English
Edited by Matti Peikola and Birte Bös
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 317] 2020
► pp. 187–208

Chapter 8
“I write not to expert practitioners, but to learners”

Perceptions of reader-friendliness in early modern printed books

ORCID logo | Stockholm University

In this chapter, I will examine metadiscursive comments on the intended audience and the accessibility of texts in early modern English printed books. This study demonstrates how different aspects of the work could be seen as increasing its suitability to a broad readership, and what strategies early modern book producers chose for marketing their works to non-specialists or readers new to the topic covered. However, many of these strategies also served the purpose of fending off potential criticism from more learned readers, who were not the intended beneficiaries of popular books. This chapter also examines the relationship between the concepts of paratextual communication and metadiscourse.

Keywords: critical readers, Early Modern English, metadiscourse, promotional discourse, reader-friendliness
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Paratexts and metadiscourse
  • 3. Materials and methods
  • 4.Features contributing to reader-friendliness
  • 5.Discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • Primary sources
  • Secondary sources
Published online: 18 November 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.317.08sal
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