BOOK READING - Prefer Italian or English

[Metisangel]

I am going to be doing some writing. I was wondering something, given I don't speak nor read Italian. If one were to publish something, say a book, would Italian people rather read the book in English or in Italian. Given the different dialects I read about on this site, how would that affect the Italian language used for a book to be read?

[PippoM]

Most Italians, even young people, have enough trouble when speaking/reading English. I mean, if the issue is about one page, they will make an effort. So, if you are writing something for a general public of genealogists, maybe they have interest and knowledge to read it. But if you are writing about local history (for instance, let's say, emigration from "someplace" to USA), well you will very hardly find readers; so, you better get the help of someone local.
However, can you be more accurate?

[DCPandaFan]

Italian schoolchildren have always learned to read and write in proper Italian (la vera lingua), never in the local dialect. Written materials, if they use words or phrases in dialect, tend to set those parts off in quote marks or italics, so is clear those parts are non-standard language. An example would be something an unschooled ancestor said, that you want to quote exactly how he said it.