What Readers Want

Hi,

Before you write and publish something, you need to ask yourself 2 important questions:
1) Who is it for? (target audience )
2) What is it for? (your message or objectives )

You have to answer your own questions well.

The reason is, before anyone buys a book or reads an article, he or she would normally ask 2 questions:
1) Is it for me?
2) Do I benefit from it?

If the content you're offering matches readers' need, then we're your potential buyers.

So, spend some time answering the 2 questions yourself. If you're able to answer yours, then they might answer ours, as well.

The ultimate question -> Will they buy it?

Buying decisions ( stickiness ) will finally depend on the quality of the content presentation. This refers to the editorial style, language, flow, structure, layout, format and supporting elements. Most readers prefer the KISS or reader-friendly.

P.S.
Attractive book cover is just an added flavour which may influence buying decisions a bit. But it is the least important factor.

So what's the KISS like?

KISS is short for Keep It Simple & Stupid. May also mean, Keep It Simple & Short or Keep It Short & Sharp.

KISS refers to:

• Text
• FLOW
• Supporting Elements
• Layout

TEXT WITH THE KISS

Ideas, concepts and messages are delivered in many formats such as in books, magazine, proposals, brochures, web sites, emails, presentations, video, audio and etc.

Unfortunately, some articles are written like I'm entering a jungle. This is hard work. I usually trash these away immediately because they're choking, tiring and exhausting.

I prefer to enter a garden of words and a nice landscape of sentences. I will feel relaxed, comfortable and felt welcomed to be in such gardens.

Here's the sort of text GARDENS for me and for readers like me:

1. Short sentences. ( exactly as it means )

2. Short paragraphs ( the most 5 lines ). Use a combination of 3-liners, 4-liners and 5-liners. That way, your write-ups won't look dull or boring. When a paragraph has more than 5 lines, it looks like a thick bush. When it has more than 10 lines, its a jungle. It goes to the trash before any snake creeps out from it.

3. After a short while, highlight main ideas in BOLD between paragraphs. Its a sort of signboard keeping me on the right track of mind. It could be in 1 or 2 lines.

4. Some ideas are listed in bullets. Its like highlighting some roses growing among other attractive plants around it.

5. Use Arial or Verdana FONTS. Both are the clearest ever. Arial might give you a slight issue because the slash '/' is the same as a capital i 'I' when it becomes an italic i 'I'. Here's an italic 'i' in Verdana : 'I'. Your choice.

6. SIMPLE WORDS. Many of us are not in your field. IF YOU HAVE THE SUDDEN URGE TO SEND MESSAGES to us, use WORDS WE UNDERSTAND. Jargons will cause indigestions. Prevention is better than cure, so articles like this will go to the trash.

7. You Are What You Write. If you're sincere, we can feel it. Whatever you write, projects your innerself. Your writings flow your spiritual-self towards us. If it's insidious, we can feel it too and thus another article goes to the trash.

When you have the above style as your text, you gave the KING (content) the KISS.

I'll talk more about FLOW, SUPPORTING ELEMENTS and LAYOUT in the next few articles.

SO...you want to KISS

Hi,

I'm Azmanar. Just call me Mann, if it is easier to pronounce and recall.

Lets talk about KISS.

KISS ??? Yes, KISS.

• Keep It Simple and Stupid.
• Keep It Simple and Short.
• Keep It Short and Sharp.

Yes, those are all the kisses that I like.

• I only read books, journals, web sites, emails, proposals, reports which have the KISS in it.
• I only watch TV Shows, Videos and Events with the KISS.
• I only listen to Radio Shows, Commercials, Lectures and Presentations that give me the KISS.
• I buy kool electronic products that have the KISS character.

More about me at : www.azman.info

CONTENT is KING

Everyday, we are being inundated with information coming from newspapers, newsletters, emails, spams, mails, junkmails, journals, books, magazines, web sites, TV Shows, video shows, radio shows, events, billboards, directories, software, presentations, reports and etc.

It's a very huge track of alphanumeric jungle with steep mountains of text. When the sentence-rain pours down, we're being deluged with mud flows of words. Its catastrophic for people looking for useful info.

Writers tried very hard to get their message across to readers. Many are successful because they are responsible writers. But many more failed miserably to get their message across.

I'm no writer, but as a reader, I do know what I want. I want useful stuffs to read - EASY TO READ, RECALL and UNDERSTAND.

So give the KING (content) a KISS.

More about me at : http://www.azman.info/