Below:
1. A GPS for your reader
2. Duck update
3. Last public course for year: 3 seats left
Hi,
A recent Harvard Business blogpost ["When Clarity is Not the Same as Brevity"] inspired this tip. David Silverman said if you scatter a dictionary's words on the floor, it's useless. But arrange them alphabetically and you'll find what you want whether there are 10 or 10,000 words. The difference is navigation.
Ditto for anything long that you're writing. [Newsflash: They won't read every word you write.] So use headers and subheads to help them skip to what they're most interested in.
Subhead tips
Here are several options for writing subheads that engage and orient your readers:
- Summarise — Instead of the blind headline, "Recommendation", try "Recommendation: Hire another salesperson". Perfect for skim-readers and informational writing.
- Offer a benefit — Got a busy reader? Try putting a major benefit into a headline/subhead. At least if that's all they read, they'll know what you're offering. E.g. "Half-price brokerage"
- Arouse curiosity — "Curiosity" subheads get attention, so can be good in persuasive writing. E.g. "Like to work less but achieve more?" They work best when you offer a benefit to readers. The downsides: They can annoy REALLY busy, impatient readers, and they're a bit informal, so check they're appropriate.
- "How to" — These headlines are everywhere, because they work; people want to learn how to do stuff. Instead of "System jobs", try "How to add a new job to the system" — much clearer.
- News — People love to learn about new things. Put on your journo hat — what's newsworthy about your topic? (See "news values") E.g. "New CFO was educated at Harvard" is better than "Welcome new CFO".
Of course, there are more. What's your favourite? Please tell us, on our blog.
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BRAIN GYM
Look at your last longer piece of writing.
As you gaze lovingly at your magnificent prose, stand in the shoes of your stressed, flat-out reader. Would more (or better) subheads have helped them make sense of it faster, or find what they wanted easier? Keep that in mind next time you write.
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The short
Your e-book of writing-tip-brilliance is still on its way!
The long
Our call for Your Golden Writing Tip was a huge success. Over 120 generous souls shared some fantastic tips — some of which I've never heard of in over a decade of professional writing.
But editing and organising them into a valuable reference tool for you has been a bigger job than we expected. We're publishing a book, essentially! (This hasn't been helped by the wonderful arrival of the newest Magneto member, eight-week-old Zach).
We'll share the results with you shortly, along with proof of our donation on your behalf to Oxfam.
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Professional writing masterclass: "Get it Write"
Only a few seats are left on our final public course for 2009, in Sydney 12 November. The early-bird rate (save $160) expires this Thursday, but e-zine readers (you) get an extension until 29 October.
Find out more about the course here.
12 November — Sydney: 3 seats left. Details
Testimonial
"Your writing program is the most impressive I've seen in 20 years. It's had some of the best feedback of any program we have run here."
HR Manager, Kell & Rigby
Prefer an in-house course? |
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Magneto Communications Pty Ltd
PO Box 379, Lane Cove, Sydney NSW Australia 1595.
Phone (02) 9427 3127 Fax (02) 9427 1327
www.magneto.net.au
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