7 Writing Mistakes Guaranteed to Make People Stop Reading Your Content
#2: Publishing daily
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I’ve been writing online for a little under three years now and the journey to this point has been delightful.
I’ve published two hundred articles online, freelanced for interesting founders, and spread my creative seed across the far-flung corners of the internet.
Naturally, writing and publishing so much content has come with its shares of lessons…many learned in the form of mistakes. And reading other writer’s mistakes makes the reader a better writer, right?
But I digress.
So, here is my gift to you: an ever-growing list of writing mistakes to avoid at all costs. Unlike other writing lists you’ve seen, this one is modeled off old-school writers and advertisers — some of the most compelling work that’s ever been created. Enjoy.
Mistake #1: Skimping the headline
Why do you click on one Medium article over another? Headlines.
How do you pick a single magazine out of dozens in a waiting room? Headlines.
“On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar. “ — David Ogilvy
It’s the reader’s first impression of you, daring them to give precious moments of their life for your sake.
Writing has one driving purpose — to guide someone to your next word. And then the sentence after it all the way to the bottom. So, if you can’t tickle someone’s curiosity with vivacious headlines, you’ve already lost.
Mistake #2: Publishing daily
This is the most important sentence you’ll read today: Not everything you write is publishable.
If this has you hot and bothered, keep reading — I promise it will make sense.
I’ll never argue against a daily writing habit. Seth Godin, Ernest Hemingway, Jodi Picoult, E.B. White, Stephen King, and many more (far better than myself) have all vocally supported the art of repetition.
But, “writing” and “publishing” are not one and the same.
Even the best writers in history produced terrible drafts. However, the difference between you and someone like Hemingway is the seductive “publish” button emblazoned on every platform.
Interviewer: How much rewriting do you do?
Hemingway: It depends. I rewrote the ending of Farewell to Arms, the last page of it, 39 times before I was satisfied.
Interviewer: Was there some technical problem there? What was it that had stumped you?
Hemingway: Getting the words right.
I understand the concept of practicing in public — which has its place depending on your goal. However, we’re focused on getting repeat readers.
If you’re publishing daily, one of those posts is bound to be trash. And if that’s the post I read, I’m not going to come back.
Mistake #3: Writing with too many words
When Steven Pressfield first cut his teeth as an adman for Benton and Bowls, he learned a harsh lesson in brevity.
Pressfield would bring a piece of copy to his boss and they would say,
“Get out of here. This is way too long. Go back to your cubicle and cut it down.”
He’d spend hours cutting it down, bring it back, and they’d say,
“Cut it down again…”
Readers are busy, distracted, and impatient. We don’t have time to read gigantic blocks of text that use 250 words to say the same thing you could with 25 words.
Mistake #4: Abstract takeaways
RIP to my first fifteen articles on this beautiful platform. They all died at the hands of abstract takeaways.
If this is something you struggle with, allow me to introduce the Problem-Agitate-Solve (PAS) formula. It’s an old copywriting trick popularized by Mel Martin, the deadliest bullet copywriter in history. PAS will keep your takeaways simple and relevant to the reader.
Here’s how it works:
- Introduce the reader’s problem — who is your target and what is their pain point?
- Agitate the reader’s pain point — tease the problem and explain why it needs to be solved.
- Offer the reader a clear solution to avoid pain — give them the solution.
By asking, “How can I solve this person’s problem?” more often, and answering the question within your writing, readers will always walk away satisfied.
Voila.
Mistake #5: Big ideas unsupported by compulsive research or credibility
Nothing makes me exit an article faster than ludicrous claims followed by amateur advice.
If you’re telling me how to make 15k/month freelancing, but haven’t done it yourself OR obsessively researched someone who has, why the fuck would I keep reading?
I don’t know everything about writing. My grammar sucks, I can be a bit abstract, and I overthink everything. But, I introduced this article by establishing my resume. Google my name and you will see a website full of content dating back several years.
I have a leg to stand on when it comes to writing advice. Make sure you do too.
Mistake #6: A self-indulgent message
Backstories are powerful. They bring weight to your words and get the reader to care.
Here’s the problem: There is a good and a bad way to insert your story into an article.
Finding that balance point between being personal enough to be accessible to your reader and being overly open to the point of losing your reader is a highly effective skill to learn.
I love unbridled enthusiasm. But without boundaries, it can come across as pointless and egotistical. You have to respect your reader and recognize when the extra length and perspective becomes unnecessary.
Mistake #7: Fading out before the finish
If catchy headlines are The Godfather of common writing mistakes then weak endings are the Goodfellas.
When your reader is savoring that last juicy word, what do you want them to do? Subscribe? Read another article? Thoughtfully challenge your core argument?
Always always leave them with a breadcrumb to what’s next. They won’t do anything without your guidance.
All of this is easier said than done. But I hope something on here made you think “Oh damn…I do that…”
Remember, great writers know pretty words don’t matter if their readers stop at the headline. Great writers edit, say more with less, and deliver clear lessons. Great writers back every claim with research. Great writers bring readers into their world without being self-indulgent. Great writers know how to finish a piece with moxie.
There are hundreds of thousands of writers. There are only a handful of great writers.
