How to write about research
It’s not the survey, silly. Most survey stories fail because they focus on the survey, not on the survey results. Here’s how to organize a successful survey story that focuses on the findings, not on the poll:
Writing and editing
Measure readability with these 6 readability apps
Test your clarity with these free online tools
There are a million readability tools out there. Here are 6 of my favorites:
1. Datayze Readability Analyzer
This tool not only analyzes readability, but also gives you different ways to dig into your message.… Read the full article
Measure readability with the Hemingway readability app
What would Ernest do?
Ever wonder how Ernest Hemingway, the master of tight prose, would have handled your blog post?
Ernest Hemingway, of course, was an American novelist, short-story writer, journalist, and sportsman.… Read the full article
Measure readability with STORYToolz readability analyzer
Get 33 metrics about your clarity
There are a million readability tools out there. Among my favorites: STORYToolz readability analyzer.
Plug in a chunk of copy, and STORYToolz will deliver a wealth of readability information — 33 pieces of data in all, from the words you use to start your sentences to the number of “to be” verbs.… Read the full article
How do you define readability?
Measure, monitor and manage your message’s reading ease
How do you define readability? Readability measures how easy your message is to read. That measurement is based on factors like sentence and word length.… Read the full article
Break up copy with sidebars, boxes
Think packages, not pieces
Readers would rather read 800 words if you delivered it in a package of shorter bites — say, a 400-word main story, a 300-word sidebar and a 100-word resources box — than if you ran it in one long river of text.… Read the full article
How to write concisely for tight copy
Polish your message to make it short and sweet
Too often, we cut our copy the hard way: a word at a time. If we need to cut 600 words, we peer through our prose until we find a candidate for cutting.… Read the full article
Build a better body for the feature story structure
Five ways to avoid flabby middles
My favorite scene in the movie “High Fidelity” is when Rob Gordon (John Cusack) becomes so depressed over his failed love life that he seeks solace in reorganizing his albums.… Read the full article
Why writing links well is so important
Get clicked by writing good link text
Users look for links on pages like puppies look for your best shoes.
Or so say Kara Pernice, Kathryn Whitenton and Jakob Nielsen, the authors of How People Read on the Web.… Read the full article
What is the literacy rate in the U.S 1993?
27% of Americans can’t write simple messages or letters
What reading grade level should you hit on the Flesch-Kincaid, Gunning Fog or other readability indexes?… Read the full article