Lean And Mean: Concise Posts Make A Huge Difference!

The internet has changed the way that we write and the way that we read.

Her choice of fashion may not be on the mark (what does that have to do with anything?!), but reading a good online article should be as enjoyable for her as flipping through the pages of a favorite magazine.

Lengthy paragraphs and sentences are out while bulleted paragraphs and numbered lists are in. How did that change come about? For the simple reason that when we view a screen, our eyes tend to scan the text looking for information to jump out at us. Unlike printed copy which can be folded, turned or read while on the potty or in the lazy chair, we tend to place ourselves in front of a big screen or before a laptop perched atop a table at our local coffee shop.

Really now, who do you think is the more comfortable reader? In most cases that would be the person folding the pages of a newspaper who can kick back and relax, taking her time to read the morning news without worrying about spilling coffee on a keyboard or going buggy eye in the process. But then, newspaper readership is disappearing almost as fast as internet participation is growing.

Two Kinds of Writing Styles

So here you have two different styles of writing – one designed for more leisurely and relaxed reading, the other to convey short, but high impact data designed to drive home a point with all the fluff removed.

Don’t get me wrong – there are a number of excellent pieces online that are several thousand words long. In the early days of the internet, I learned to print those kinds of articles out, stapling the pages together and saving the best of the lot. I’m a writer, therefore lengthy articles, short stories, novellas and books are fine with me. But they aren’t fine for mostly everyone else, particularly for the online reader.

How can you best write what you want without droning on and on? That’s easy – write what you want and then pick at it later.

That’s right, if you have something to say, then say it. Don’t worry about article length or trying to adhere to certain restrictions that others are urging you to embrace. I’ve come across many bloggers who worry that they’re being too wordy, leaving out important content to keep their article lengths under control. That’s just wrong – you’re proofreader and editor as well a publisher and writer – you are the one solely responsible for the way that your article reads. Your audience validates your work by subscribing to a feed or by leaving comments.

Cutting Out the Fluff

Now there is a big difference between the article that is 1500 words long and lacking substance versus the 500 word article that says it all. What readers don’t realize is that a good number of articles which may be short and to the point may not have started out that way. In some cases, the writer may have “skinned” her article down to take out excess data or remove fluff, in order to leave the reader with concrete, helpful, concise, but highly effectual information.

To reiterate my point the length of your article doesn’t matter as much as what is inside of it. If you can say what you want to say in 500, 1000 or 2500 words or more while keeping your reader’s attention, then you have succeeded in your endeavor. Cut out the junk and you’ll be left with an article worth reading no matter how many words you used.

See Also — Should You Schedule Your Blog Posts?

Photo Credit: Viktoria Sav

Pitch Me A Perfect Story!

Some bloggers, like newspaper editors, invite story pitches especially those which include several important components. Don't throw us a shotput, because we'll get hurt. Rather, lob us a softball that can easily be hit.

Bloggers owe so much to traditional journalists that we often lose site of how newspapers have changed the way news stories are brought forth. It is easy to dismiss the demise of  “dead tree media” with the wave of a hand, but with its pending death or transition to the web will go a style of journalism no longer familiar to most readers. I don’t mean to dramatize the point – hard hitting journalism will live on. But, in these days of fifteen second sound bytes, Twitter microblogging and Britney Spears reporting, audience tastes have shifted as well.

I truly believe that there is plenty of room for all kinds of writing styles online, unlike newspapers where a certain mode of mining information, fleshing out stories and building compelling articles still holds sway. If the Editor-in-Chief wants you to report the news in a certain way, then by all means you must. Not so with bloggers – you’re reporter, proofreader, editor and publisher wrapped up in one.

Better Than The Press Release

In a previous article I harped on press release writers (distributors) who would sometimes submit their news pieces to me in hopes that I would run with it. Automotive topics and college stories are two areas I write about with some measure of authority, therefore my inbox is routinely filled with information that someone out there thinks that my readers would love to know about. Well, not really – a brand new tonneau cover for a Ford F-150 pickup truck may interest a certain segment of my readership on Auto Trends, but I’m not into pitching sales oriented material either.

What stands a chance of getting picked up by me is the story pitched with some meat on it.

I’m not looking for a topic only, rather I am looking for story leads which I can flesh out into something bigger and better. That story must include several defining components including: timing, significance, and perhaps some sort of conflict. Naturally, having a resolution to that conflict is helpful, though if I’m writing about an unresolved problem, I can in all likelihood cover several possible outcomes. I had to do this recently when I discussed a pending lawsuit which could either be settled out of court or brought to trial.

Bloggers Wear Multiple Hats

Unlike in newsrooms where a story is typically pitched to a specific editor, such as the features editor, metro editor, lifestyle editor, etc., with the blogger you have someone who wears multiple hats. However, if you want a story covered on my consumer blog, then it most certainly would help your cause if the story angle is consumer oriented. If not, then you need to go back and rework your pitch to give it more meat. Some bloggers don’t mind going way off topic from time to time, but that isn’t something I’m willing to allow on various niche blogs I manage.

Above all, don’t beg me to write about your organization or run a story I have little interest in developing. Your nonprofit may have the best outreach of its kind, but if your story doesn’t resonate with me then I’m not going to invest my time in bringing it forth. Even then the fault could lie in your manner of presentation which, if explained in a different way, it could catch my attention. After all I’m only human and I could very well benefit from your fresh perspective. Hey, it’s worth a shot!

Photo Credit: Bob