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The Biggest Reason People Aren't Reading What You Write

What's the reason? The answer is two words: paragraph length.

Written Dec 14, 2007, read 3550 times since then.
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The answer is two words: paragraph length.

You want to use short paragraphs in your emails.

Really short.

You also want to use short paragraphs on your blogs. And on your website. And in your articles. And in your book. And in your email replies to interested people.

I'm not kidding. Because when you write really, really long paragraphs by email and they go on and on without stopping about every last thing you want to say, then it becomes this block of text that's hard to read and follow. Your readers become frightened to start the paragraph, and, if they do actually start the paragraph, they get lost in the middle and never reach the end. And if they never reach the end, then they never see the next paragraph and basically the gig is up, because they've missed the point of what you were writing about, and you may as well never have written in the first place. And, because you lose them as readers you never hear back from them, you've gotten no response and so you can start to feel frustrated. Then angry. Then sad. Then you begin to fill with despair and wonder if anyone cares about you at all, and whether you should even be in business, or even in the world. Maybe you should just give it all up and go get a job in a cafe. When, it's really not that bad, it's just because your paragraphs were too long. Make sense? Short paragraphs. No more than three or four lines.

'Nuff said.

Learn more about the author, Mark Silver.

Comment on this article

  • Sales Manager 
Seattle, Washington 
Jonathan Martin
    Posted by Jonathan Martin, Seattle, Washington | Dec 15, 2007

    Nice demonstration!

  • Marketing & Small Business Self-Promotion Consultant 
Annandale, Virginia 
Cindy Engquist
    Posted by Cindy Engquist, Annandale, Virginia | Dec 17, 2007

    Cleverly written! And true!

  • Web Hosting Services 
Seattle, Washington 
Jeevan Ananadasakaran
    Posted by Jeevan Ananadasakaran, Seattle, Washington | Jan 02, 2008

    Perfect, I just learned something I'll use from now on.

  • Professional SEO specialist 
San Francisco, California 
Gabriella Sannino
    Posted by Gabriella Sannino, San Francisco, California | Aug 12, 2008

    What I want to know is how were you able to write copy on here that was less than 500 words? Every time I try to post short articles I am told "not enough content" humm interesting copy though. :)

  • Happiness Advocate 
Portland, Oregon 
Emma McCreary
    Posted by Emma McCreary, Portland, Oregon | Aug 20, 2008

    I had that same question, how did you get this published as an article?

    But regardless, I'm glad you did. Super helpful.

  • Business Tenderizer 
Portland, Oregon 
Mark Silver
    Posted by Mark Silver, Portland, Oregon | Aug 20, 2008

    Good question. I dunno. I just did.

  • Undress the Stress Coach 
Surrey, British Columbia Canada 
Marianna  Paulson
    Posted by Marianna Paulson, Surrey, British Columbia Canada | Nov 15, 2008

    Perhaps everyone is asking the wrong person.

    Perhaps just because.

    Perhaps this was so valuable it passed the censors.

    At any rate, excellent suggestion, Mark, and so true in this world of sound-bites.

  • Social Entrepreneur, Life Skills Educator 
Encinitas, California 
Marlaine Cover
    Posted by Marlaine Cover, Encinitas, California | Feb 19, 2009

    Nice..............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hugs Mama Marlaine Parenting 2.0 www.lifeskillsreportcard.com

  • Business Strategy and Intelligence Program Manager 
Sammamish, Washington 
Dave Manningsmith
    Posted by Dave Manningsmith, Sammamish, Washington | Feb 24, 2009

    3 B's for C-level communication: - Be brief. - Be brilliant. - Be gone.

  • Business Tenderizer 
Portland, Oregon 
Mark Silver
    Posted by Mark Silver, Portland, Oregon | Feb 26, 2009

    @Marianna- somehow we slipped it by. :)

    @Marlaine- glad you liked it, Mama. :)

    @Dave- I love the 3rd part. That can be the hardest. As Michelle Shocked sang: "The secret to a long life is knowing when it's time to go."

  • Psychology Education 
Evansville, Indiana 
Zac Parsons
    Posted by Zac Parsons, Evansville, Indiana | Jul 10, 2009

    Really enjoyed this. Now, will I apply it to my writing? Let's hope so.

  • Ocean Policy Analyst 
Seattle, Washington 
Kristin Stahl-Johnson
    Posted by Kristin Stahl-Johnson, Seattle, Washington | Oct 01, 2009

    Curious that no one noticed that you were violating your own advice as you wrote?

  • Business Tenderizer 
Portland, Oregon 
Mark Silver
    Posted by Mark Silver, Portland, Oregon | Oct 01, 2009

    Hi Kristin-

    Sorry it didn't come across for you--it was meant as ironic humor. An illustration on-the-spot of why it doesn't work. I believe they did notice it, and perhaps they were chuckling along with me?

    Did you read the long paragraph? Maybe it wasn't as funny as I thought it was...

  • Certified Cat Behavior Consultant 
Nashville, Tennessee 
Pam Johnson-Bennett, CCBC
    Posted by Pam Johnson-Bennett, CCBC, Nashville, Tennessee | Apr 11, 2010

    Just came across your article. Wonderfully demonstrated. I love your sense of humor.

  • Professional Training & Coaching 
Seattle, Washington 
Michael Hartzell
    Posted by Michael Hartzell, Seattle, Washington | Jun 27, 2010

    Sorry. I can't seem to understand what you are saying. The second paragraph was much too long and my eyes were not able to read the lines or even between the lines. If only someone would invent special glasses to help read the computer screen. Then we could wear the glasses and read easier and faster. I think Steve Martin in the movie "The Jerk" invented a pair of great glasses. But then he got sued didn't he. If only you would speak more on the core reasons as to why you say what you say instead of just saying it to be so. This would improve the possibility of acceptance and make it not just your opinion. You know what they say: "Just cause you say it to be so, don't make it so." or the other one is "Trust but verify."

    Reminds me of "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" and the ultimate answer to life. Do you remember? After about 7 million years, the super computer said it was "42" but could not remember the question.

    thanks!

    PS This also works well for making content that you don't want people to read. Long paragraphs will not be read. Later you can say: "I sent you that data, did you read it?" They of course say yes and that is a big fat lie. :)

  • Seattle Feng Shui Environment Consultant, SoulCollage® Facilitator 
Seattle, Washington 
Diane Kern
    Posted by Diane Kern, Seattle, Washington | Jun 28, 2010

    Ha, ha, very funny and oh so true.

  • Professional Web Copywriter, Response-Based Creative writer 
Monroe, Louisiana 
Stephen Monday
    Posted by Stephen Monday, Monroe, Louisiana | Jul 08, 2011

    Well said Mark.

    Short sentences (as you demonstrated) have more impact as well.

    Want copy that has punch? Follow the list;

    Shorten sentences. Shorten paragraphs. Cut "wordiness." Be blunt. Yet explicit. No rambling. No rhetoric. Use adverbs. Be specific. Hire copywriters!

  • Clinical Hypnotherapist 
Tarzana, California 
Susan French
    Posted by Susan French, Tarzana, California | Jul 17, 2011

    LOL...nuff said!

    I still wonder about classical paragraphs and "on-the-fly, blog-type" paragraphs.

    Can you comment?

    Thanks.

    Susan

  • Mortgage Broker Extraordinaire 
Santa Rosa, California 
Elise Groves
    Posted by Elise Groves, Santa Rosa, California | Jul 20, 2011

    Short and sweet! I like it! Very funny, too!

  • Online Advertisement for Local Businesses 
Palatine, Illinois 
Peter Rubel
    Posted by Peter Rubel, Palatine, Illinois | Aug 05, 2011

    There was a time in the English speaking world (B.C. = Before Computers) in which long sentences and sustained logical argument in long paragraphs were the norm for writers. And readers were expected to understand them.

    Take the Federalist Papers, for instance. These legal and practical mazes ostensibly persuaded the farmers and their representatives of upstate New York to favor the ratification of what became the U.S. Constitution.

    Or maybe they were bamboozled into believing.

    P.S. So what exactly is the Information Age?

  • Professional Web Copywriter, Response-Based Creative writer 
Monroe, Louisiana 
Stephen Monday
    Posted by Stephen Monday, Monroe, Louisiana | Aug 05, 2011

    Hello Peter,

    In my understanding, the "Information Age" was born when I realized that I could type any question, about anything - into a Google search engine - and get quick, instant answers from the World Wide Web.

    Albeit some answers are crazy-wrong; the majority of information online is fairly accurate. Source several queries and decide for yourself what amount of the info is "believable."

    Broadband connections, world wide access, and high-speed computers gave birth to this era.

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