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Wylie's Writing Tips

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You’re one in a million

Messages a year, that is

Information, these days, is hard to escape. Even formerly message-free spaces now bombard us with data.

You’re one in a million
Feed one’s mind With so many communications every day, are you getting your message across? Image by Leo Hidalgo

Our audience members see messages printed on water cooler cups, embossed into their pizza’s cheese — even tattooed onto human skin.

Recently, a 20-year-old in Omaha, Nebraska, auctioned off his forehead on eBay. The highest bidder paid $37,000 and change to place a temporary tattoo on this kid’s noggin for a month.

Read full article >

Related stories

Add words, paralyze readers

Add words, paralyze readers: More information = poorer decisions

Info overload creates “ostrich complex”

Info overload creates “ostrich complex”: Ignorance may really be bliss

“‘tl;dr — too long, didn’t read.’ Favorite response to unwieldy blog posts.”
— Urban Dictionary

Cut Through the Clutter

Make every piece you write easier to read & understand

Is your copy easy to read? According to communication experts, that’s one of the two key questions people ask to determine whether to read a piece — or toss it.

Make every piece you write easier to read & understand
Are you informing readers? Or just numbing them? Image by Cambodia4kids.org Beth Kanter

Fortunately, academics have tested and quantified what makes copy easy to read. Unfortunately, that research virtually never makes it out of the ivory tower and into the hands of writers who could actually apply it.

But you’ll leave this session with “the numbers” you need to measurably improve your copy’s readability.

At Catch Your Readers — our two-day persuasive-writing master class on March 22-23 in Las Vegas, and on June 19-20 in Boston — you’ll leave this session with “the numbers” you need to measurably improve your copy’s readability.

Specifically, you’ll learn how to:

  • Apply a seven-step system for making every piece you write clearer and more concise.
  • Use a cool tool (you probably already have it, but you might not know it) to measurably improve your message’s readability.
  • Drastically condense your copy using the fastest, most effective approach. (The way we do it every day takes far more time and makes your message less interesting.)
  • Hit the right targets. How long is too long for your paragraphs? Your sentences? Your words?
  • Increase reading by hitting one key on your keyboard more often.

This is the only persuasive-writing workshop we have planned in Las Vegas in 2017. Don’t miss out on your chance to master persuasive-writing in Las Vegas! Register now.

Register now

“It exceeded my expectations and more. Ann really knows her stuff.”
— Diana Meza, public affairs officer, Riverside Community College District

Polish your skills at these Master Classes

Learn to Master the Art of the Storyteller, Catch Your Readers, Get Clicked, Cut Through the Clutter and more

Register for Catch Your Reader: Ann Wylie's persuasive writing workshop in Las Vegas on March 22-23, 2017
Register for Cut Through the Clutter - Ann Wylie's Tight Writing workshop in Washington, D.C. on April 6-7, 2017
Register for Not Your Father's News Release - Ann Wylie's PR-writing workshop in Chicago on May 18-19, 2017
Register for Catch Your Reader: Ann Wylie's persuasive writing workshop in Boston on June 19-20, 2017
Register for Get Clicked, Read, Shared & Liked - Ann Wylie's online-writing workshop in Portland on July 27-28, 2017
Register for Cut Through the Clutter - Ann Wylie's tight-writing workshop in San Francisco on Aug, 17-18, 2017
Register for Master the Art of the Storyteller in New York: Ann Wylie's creative-writing workshop in New York on Sept. 25-26, 2017
Register for Catch Your Readers in Dallas: Ann Wylie's persuasive writing workshop in Dallas on Oct. 16-17
Register for Not Your Father's News Release - Ann Wylie's PR-writing workshop in Kansas City on Nov. 16-17, 2017
Register for Get Clicked, Read, Shared & Liked - Ann Wylie's online-writing workshop in Miami on Dec. 11-12, 2017

Rather bring Ann in to train your whole team?

Invite Ann

Catch Ann on the road

Save when you book a workshop while I’m in your neighborhood

Ask about piggybacking on my upcoming engagements in:

  • Boston: June 19-20
  • Chicago: May 18-19
  • Dallas: Oct. 16-17
  • Kansas City: Nov. 16-17
  • Las Vegas: March 22-23
  • Miami: Dec. 11-12
  • New York: Sept. 25-26
  • Northbrook, Illinois: June 14
  • Plano, Texas: March 20
  • Portland: July 27-28
  • San Francisco: Aug. 17-18
  • Washington, D.C.: April 6-7

Keep up with my calendar.

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June 30, 2022

Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop on July 11-15

Save upto $100 with our group discounts.

Register for Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop on July 11-15
  • Cut a long story shortCut a long story short: Would your story be twice as good if it were half as long?
  • What goes into a press release boilerplate?What goes into a press release boilerplate? Boil your company down with boilerplates
  • How to write funny contentHow to write funny content: Try self-deprecating humor
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Upcoming Workshops

Master the Art of Storytelling - Ann Wylie's creative-content workshop on July 11-15

NOT Your Father’s PR Writing - Ann Wylie's PR-writing workshop on Aug. 15-19

Rev Up Readability - Ann Wylie's tight-writing workshop on Sept. 19-23

Think Inside the Inbox - Ann Wylie's email-writing workshop on Oct. 17-21

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