KISS…or Keep It Simple Shirley…is the number one thing that all article writers should strive for. There are a variety of reasons. This article is going to give you the number one reason and a few ways to keep it simple. I hope after reading this, you’ll understand that writing an article doesn’t have to be rocket science.

Okay, the number one reason why you should keep your writing simple is this. The average reading level of people in the United States (the bulk of your audience) is about eighth grade. If you start to write like Hemingway, you’re going to lose them…period. There is no point in trying to impress a population whose idea of great literature is Mickey Spillane. By keeping things simple, you stand a much better chance of actually getting through to your audience and getting them to do whatever it is you want them to do AFTER they are done reading your article.

So, the question is, how do you keep things simple? Well, for starters, you should begin each article by telling your reader what it is that you’re going to be telling them, sort of like in summary form. That’s pretty much what I did with this article. In case you’ve forgotten, read paragraph one again.

After you have told your reader what you’re going to tell them, do it as plainly as possible…one step at a time. Don’t try to combine multiple points in one paragraph. You’re going to lose your reader. Also, you want to keep your paragraphs relatively short. Paragraphs of 3 -5 lines are usually the best length.

After you are done telling the reader what you wanted to tell them, finish up with a short paragraph summarizing the main points of the article. Most people have short attention spans and bad memories. By the time they’re at the end of your article, they’re probably forgotten what you said in paragraph two. So a summary helps…a lot.

Finally, in all of this, don’t talk over your reader’s head. Don’t try to use fancy words like Honorificabilitudinitatibus just to try to impress somebody. Not only won’t they be impressed but they’re also going to be confused as heck by the time they’re done reading. Nobody wants to have to consult a dictionary when reading an article.

There you have it. By preparing your reader in advance for what the article is about, keeping things to short paragraphs, summarizing at the end and finally staying away from long words that nobody is going to understand, you give your article the best chance to be understood and acted upon.

That’s what makes a good article.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to write articles that get people’s attention and can earn you up to $200 per article written? Then check out my Complete Article Writing And Marketing Guide that you can find at http://www.honestincomeprogram.com/tcawamg.html – This is my own book that I wrote from over 30 years of writing experience.