People skip long paragraphs Readers take measure of — and make decisions about — your copy based on how it looks. One of the most important visual cues is paragraph length. If your message looks too hard to read, people won't read it. So hit Return more often: It's one of the easiest ways to make your message more readable. How often should you hit … [Read more...] about Hit Return more often
paragraph length
Avoid the suitcase lead
Try a bikini lead instead Some folks write "suitcase leads": They try to cram all of the story elements into the top. Instead, make yours a bikini lead, and cover just the most interesting essentials. Remember: It's not the job of the first paragraph to tell the whole story. It's the job of the first paragraph to get people to read the second paragraph. So target … [Read more...] about Avoid the suitcase lead
Three ways to streamline sentences
Cut a word, increase comprehension Here's the problem with long sentences: Every time you add a word, you reduce comprehension. Let your sentences sprawl, and the subject, verb and object get too far away from each other. Your readers have to fly to JFK to pick up the subject, Uber to Chelsea to grab the verb and hightail it to the Upper East Side to find the object. … [Read more...] about Three ways to streamline sentences