Sidebar Savvy
How to write a sidebar that adds value to your article
A sidebar is a short article, set apart, that accompanies a longer article. Editors love sidebars because they add value to an article. Readers love sidebars because they’re skimmable and offer quick information. Sidebars supplement the main piece with extra content that may not fit in the flow of the main article but may be helpful to the reader.
Sidebars are also called “boxouts,” “call-out boxes,” or “fillers.” (To be fair, a filler also known as a short-short standalone article.) Graphically, they appear on the side of the page or screen as a pullout or box.
Why write a sidebar?
To offer a quick read
Sidebars are reader-friendly in an easy-to-digest snapshot.
To offer an in-depth read
In contrast with the “main bar” — the main article, which covers who, what, where, when, why, and how — a sidebar allows you to develop one aspect of a bigger story with a fresh twist or a detour. This is one place where you’re allowed to follow a rabbit trail with your words, as long as the sidebar content complements the main piece.
