Writing and editing

How to write a lead for a press release

Want readers to read? Put the reader first, lead with you

It’s counterintuitive, but true: The product is never the topic. The program is never the topic.… Read the full article

How to write killer headlines for web content

Google never laughs; so must web heads be dull?

There’s a lot of sniveling and squawking going on in the web writing community these days. Consider the headlines:

“This Boring Headline Is Written for Google,” grumble journalists.

… Read the full article

Writing headlines for the web & SEO?

Optimize web heads for humans as well as Google

If Google can’t find it, to paraphrase Jeff Foxworthy, can’t nobody find it.

Indeed, one key role of web heads is to help Google find your page.… Read the full article

How to research for blog posts, articles

Get good at getting the goods

You’ve heard the phrase “hog in, sausage out.” That means that what you get out of the grinder will be no better than what you put in it.… Read the full article

How to overcome writer’s block

Work with, not against, your brain

I don’t believe in writer’s block. Never had time for it. Blank page? I’ll take two, please. I’ve never met the muse.… Read the full article

Public relations writing by the numbers

Overcome these PR challenges to get the word out

Wire services distribute 3,000 releases each day — that’s one every 29 seconds. Half of these press releases never get covered.… Read the full article

What is freewriting in the writing process?

Step 2: Get words on paper

There comes a point in any writing project when you need to follow Ernest Hemingway’s first rule for writers: Apply the seat of your pants to the seat of a chair.… Read the full article

Readability by the numbers | Slideshare

Reach audience members regardless of their literacy level

Let’s start with the bad news: More than half of American adults have basic or below basic prose skills, according to the Department of Education’s latest literacy test.… Read the full article