My writer buddy, Anne Wayman, offers great writing tips for freelance writers.
Anne offered this guest post with tips for online writing. They are excellent tips for anyone who does online writing.
So, sit back with your cup of java and enjoy this post from a real pro.
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10 Ways To Improve Your Online Freelance Writing
by Anne Wayman
One of the great things about freelance online writing gigs is there are so many of them to choose from!
Today there are more opportunities than ever before; you can literally have a well paid writing career writing only online.
Writing for the web, however, isn’t exactly like writing for print.
The reason writing online is different is because your words will be displayed on a screen instead of on paper.
With the possible exception of E Ink which shows up on the Kindle and some other ebook readers, screens are not really easy on the eyes.
- There tends to be glare
- And at least a bit of flicker
- Even if the reader isn’t consciously aware of it
Glare and flicker shorten the reader’s attention span.
Perhaps more importantly is the amount of writing that’s now showing up on smart phones and on tablet computers.
- These screens not only glare
- They are smaller than most printed books and magazines
Some are downright tiny.
Because of the glare and probably because of the smaller screens, people are essentially reading on the fly – they glance at the words and scan for meaning rather than read word for word.
All of which means if you’re writing for the web, you’ve got to keep those varying sized, hard-to-read screens in mind.
While you can’t be expected to format for every device, you can still give your online reader help in the form of visual clues scattered throughout your writing.
Here are 10 ways you can improve your online writing for your readers.
1. Use more white space.
One of the best ways to give your screen-bound reader a break is with white space.
Magazine and book designers have long recognized its value as have advertisers.
- It’s the space around words and sentences – often white and sometimes colored
- You want even more white space with your web writing than you do in print
2. Try shorter paragraphs.
Another way to create more white space is with shorter paragraphs.
Yes, on the web paragraphs can be single sentences.
3. Use shorter sentences.
Shorter paragraphs often means shorter sentences.
If your sentence wraps a couple of lines, it’s probably too long for small screens.
Break it up.
4. Writes shorter articles.
Although there is a place for long, thoughtful articles on the web, as a general rule, the shorter your article, the more likely it is to be read to the end.
- Of course it needs to be long enough, but no longer
- Meeting a specific word count no longer makes sense
5. Break up large blocks of text.
Many suggest a text block be no more than four lines – but it’s hard to know these days given the variety of devices.
Just keep it in mind and if you find yourself writing a long length of text, break it up.
6. Use more headings and subheads that communicate.
Headings and subheads also give your reader a break as well as signaling what’s important and what’s next.
Make sure they help your reader.
7. Make lists.
Lists of items, like this one, can be a great way to say what needs to be said while creating white space.
Bulleted and numbered lists can be effective particularly if you can get a space between each one.
8. Use relevant photos and graphics.
Graphics and photos that are relevant to the article help guide a reader through the material.
If, however, they don’t help the reader understand what’s being written about, they will be ignored.
9. Relevant links can also help your reader.
Links allow your reader to interact with your material – they also can be distractions and take readers away from your writing.
Use your best judgment.
10. Proofread your writing.
One of the joys of writing for the web is also one of its problems – it’s easy to publish.
- Just push a button on your blog and it’s there for the world
- Proofread as best you can, perhaps by reading it out loud
Most web writing doesn’t get edited which means you’ve got to do it yourself.
It’s tempting to lump each of these guidelines under one rule like “Keep it simple.”
That’s not the point.
Complex ideas requiring careful thought can be effectively published on the web as long as you recognize the environment online is different than print.
Be willing to create just for the web.
Your readers will be grateful and ultimately you will be too.
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Anne Wayman has been freelance writing and ghostwriting books for over 30 years.
She blogs at AboutFreelanceWriting.com
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