Long sentences can make you more concise

April 6, 2021/in writing/by Susan Weiner, CFA

“You have too many short sentences. Write some long sentences.” That advice from my writing teacher stunned me. I’d been working so hard to cut flab from my writing.

However, I respected my teacher, and quickly realized that she was right. As she explained, my short sentences created a monotonous rhythm.

Long sentences may repeat fewer words

Rhythm isn’t the only reason to include an occasional long sentence. Paradoxically, as Joe Moran says in First You Write a Sentence, long sentences “can be more concise than a string of simple ones, because having a subject and main verb for each thought wastes words. And sometimes long sentences are useful for the opposite reason: not to save words, but to expand them, to stretch out a thought so the reader can keep up as you think it through.”

Moran also says:

These kinds of sentences can be made more readable by cutting deadwood words and adding words. By expanding complex ideas into long, loose sentences, you mimic the stretched-out thinking-aloudness of speech. Cutting out long, derived words, such as nominalizations, often means using more words in their place—but it can make the writing feel less squashed. The slow train of thought needs plenty of track.

So, don’t assume that shorter is always better. I’ve also made this point in “No brevity without substance, please” and “Writing: More specific is better until it’s not.”

Put subject and main verb at the beginning

Moran offers a great tip to make your long sentences work: Put your subject and main verb at the beginning. As he says, “If the reader can’t identify the sentence’s subject and main verb—or worse, which is not uncommon, the writer can’t, it will never begin to make sense.”

Go long when it works.

Disclosure: If you click on an Amazon link in this post and then buy something, I will receive a small commission. I provide links to books only when I believe they have value for my readers.

Stop submitting articles as PDFs!

March 16, 2021/in writing/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Please don’t submit your unsolicited articles to editors as PDFs. In my role as the editor of a monthly magazine, I find PDFs frustrating. They tempt me to trash an article immediately. (Of course, ignore my advice if a publication asks you to submit articles as PDFs.)

Why do authors send PDFs?

None of my writer friends could understand why authors would submit articles as PDFs. I imagine that perhaps the writers want to protect their intellectual property. I think this because before sending me a Microsoft Word document, a writer has—very rarely—asked me to swear that I won’t use their article without their permission.

A PDF offers some protection because copying an article from a PDF can be challenging if the author has locked the PDF with a password. Even if there’s no password, it can be time-consuming to copy-paste from the PDF or to fix mistakes that sneak in when a PDF is converted to a Microsoft Word document.

Or, perhaps the authors want to preserve their articles’ formatting. That formatting doesn’t matter to me—at least not when I’m assessing whether an article is potentially publishable.

Why I prefer Microsoft Word

I want an article that’s easy for me to edit/rewrite, format, and rearrange. Microsoft Word is much better for all of that than Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is the Adobe program most often used by writers and editors. I’ll often move blocks of text in my quest to make an article publishable. I can’t do that in a PDF.

PDFs are useful later

However, PDFs are useful once the production staff formats articles for publication. Then, they offer the advantage of letting me see how the article will look once it’s professionally printed (or distributed as a PDF or published to a website). They also make it somewhat easier to track who suggests which changes.

I couldn’t live without PDFs when I’m reviewing the layout of the monthly magazine that I edit. But, please don’t send any editor your articles as PDFs unless the editor has asked you to do so.

Target a growing niche with a book as a marketing tool

January 26, 2021/in writing/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Have you ever considered writing a book? Amy Buttell, author of the forthcoming Get Your Book Done in this Lifetime: A Financial Advisor’s 5-Step Guide to Writing a Book that Boosts Your Business shares her thoughts in this guest post about how writing a book could benefit you.

Target a growing niche with a book as a marketing tool

By Amy Buttell

As advisors seek to solidify their value propositions with their clients, niche marketing is fast becoming a necessity rather than a luxury. The 2019 Kitces Research Study on Advisor Marketing and the 2020 Financial Planning Process Kitces Research Study revealed that top advisors with a niche possess more pricing power, serve more clients, and gross more revenue versus top advisors without a niche.[i]

In fact, these niche-focused top advisors had clients with higher net worth and an average of 25 percent more investable assets.[ii] If you are an advisor who either wants to establish or build your niche, writing a book as a marketing tool can open the door to a more lucrative and more satisfying niche-based practice.

The value of books as marketing tools

Writing a book as a marketing tool establishes you as an expert in your field. When you write a book as a marketing tool on an area of your practice that you want to grow, you change people’s perception of you and your practice. You also create a bank of content that you can draw on as you establish yourself as an expert, while shortening the trust curve with your prospects.

Like many advisors, you may be reluctant to write a book because you believe that you can’t offer any information that isn’t already available, given the tens of thousands of books already available on virtually all aspects of financial and retirement planning. However, there isn’t a book out there that captures your process and the distinctive value that you offer your clients.

Books as marketing tools don’t have to sell many copies—that isn’t the point of writing one. Instead, the point is to position you as an expert and offer valuable information to prospects aligned with your niche and your process.

When you free yourself from the perceptions of what you believe a book is supposed to accomplish, you may find yourself reevaluating whether writing a book as a marketing tool is a good way to position yourself and your practice within a growing niche.

3 reasons to write a book

Here are three statements you can review to help you decide if it’s time to write a book to help market your practice:

I’m not attracting clients who are in alignment with my advisory practices and values. If you agree, writing a book as a marketing tool can help you further define what you seek in a client while at the same time creating content that will help you attract the kinds of clients that you want. This type of mismatch indicates a messaging and communication problem—either you’re afraid to turn down clients who aren’t a good fit, or you aren’t correctly communicating your value proposition, or both. Writing a book is a great way to clarify your process, your values, and the types of clients you want to attract. Even if you are attracting clients who are aligned, writing a book could still work for you if you want to build up a niche, establish yourself as a thought leader, and/or grow your practice.
My business is stagnant. In today’s fast-moving advisory industry, failure to grow can create a downward cycle that pressures your business model to the breaking point. Writing a book focused on a growing niche that you have knowledge of and expertise in can help break that cycle by breathing new life and energy into your practice. Taking advantage of a slow period in your business by writing a book leverages your time productively and sets you up for a better future. If your business isn’t stagnant, but you still want to build a more robust pipeline, writing a book as a marketing tool can definitely help, especially if you have a distribution strategy in mind to leverage a book.
I’m bored. Perhaps your business is successful, but you’re in need of a new challenge. Writing a book is an excellent way to challenge yourself because you’ll learn more about yourself and your business than you ever imagined, while creating a tangible product that will help grow your practice. In fact, once you write one book you might not be able to stop. As a professional writer who recently finished my own book, I can tell you that the experience is like no other. I learned more about myself and my processes than I ever would have thought. Plus, I gained confidence in myself and my business that has already resulted in a more successful business, even though my book won’t be released until Jan. 31. Even if you’re not bored, you might decide that writing a book as a marketing tool is beneficial enough to be worth the effort.

If you’re still on the fence, think about all the potential clients you can reach with a book version of yourself. I’m not just saying this so that you can think about the business building benefits—I’m saying it because there are so many people in need of good advice who aren’t getting it. Don’t let them miss out on what you have to offer just because they don’t know about you.

Amy Buttell is the author of Get Your Book Done in this Lifetime: A Financial Advisor’s 5-Step Guide to Writing a Book that Boosts Your Business. She grows financial advisor practices through content and books. Her online home is at www.lakeeffectcreative.com. Connect with her at www.linkedin.com/en/amybuttell.

[i] “Kitces Research on Advantages of Niching in Time Use, Planning Approach, Pricing, and Productivity,” Kitces.com, Aug. 24, 2020, https://www.kitces.com/blog/kitces-research-financial-advisor-niche-productivity-revenue-time-use-efficiency-pricing-models/

[ii] “Kitces Research on Advantages of Niching in Time Use, Planning Approach, Pricing, and Productivity,” Kitces.com, Aug. 24, 2020, https://www.kitces.com/blog/kitces-research-financial-advisor-niche-productivity-revenue-time-use-efficiency-pricing-models/

Clarity over cleverness in writing

December 22, 2020/in writing/by Susan Weiner, CFA

“Being clear is better than being clever.”

That’s according to “Dan Jones’s top 11 publishing secrets,” ASJA Magazine (March/April 2019). In his article, Martin D. Hirsch reported on tips from the editor of “Modern Love,” a popular column in The New York Times.

To me that means that it’s most important to make your writing easy for readers to understand. A cutesy title or intriguing image may attract readers’ attention. But if readers can’t understand your message, then you and your readers lose.

A little cleverness is fine, but don’t let it sap your clarity.

Increase the sonic force of your writing

November 17, 2020/in writing/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Sentences that sound better are likely to read better, too. I’ve discovered this by reading my writing out loud. One way to improve their sound is to increase their sonic force, according to Joe Moran in First You Write a Sentence.

Short words boost sonic force

As Moran explains:

A sentence has more sonic force if there are more stressed than unstressed syllables. When we speak, we stress one syllable of each word. Even polysyllabic words stress only one key syllable, so the more long words there are in a sentence, the fewer stresses it has.

Thus, sentences composed of short words have more stresses. That means more sonic force, too.

Cut syllables for more sonic force

“Cut syllables where you can,” advises Moran. For examples of how to do this, see my posts on “Word and phrase substitutions for economical writers” and “More substitutions for economical writers.”

Favor vowels over consonants. “The vowel sound of a syllable is the basic unit of speech. A consonant cannot be fully voiced without it,” says Moran. Good use of short words and varied vowels creates what Moran calls the “chewy vowel music.”

Can you create “chewy vowel music?”

Disclosure: If you click on an Amazon link in this post and then buy something, I will receive a small commission. I provide links to books only when I believe they have value for my readers.

Writing tight with Trish Hall

November 10, 2020/in writing/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Brevity is a virtue. Tight writing is reader-friendly.

In Writing to Persuade, Trish Hall, a former editor of The New York Times op-ed page writes:

Tight doesn’t mean dull. It means consciously choosing your words and your sentence structure. Go back over the words until you are certain the reader doesn’t have to make undue effort to read, but can sink into the sentences like a bath. No friction.

Look at Hall’s quote above. It’s tight, but it’s not dull. Her original image of “sink into the sentence like a bath” grabbed my attention. I keep turning it over in my head.

Disclosure: If you click on an Amazon link in this post and then buy something, I will receive a small commission. I provide links to books only when I believe they have value for my readers.

My 2020 reading, with suggestions for you

November 3, 2020/in writing/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Looking for something to read—or to buy as a gift for the holidays? You may find ideas on this list of my 2020 reading.

I especially enjoyed First You Write a Sentence. by Joe Moran (by the way, the period is part of the title; it’s not a typo). My favorite nonfiction book that wasn’t explicitly about the craft of writing was Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, a biography of the woman who wrote “The Lottery,” a haunting short story that I imagine most Americans have read. My favorite novel was The Memory Police, followed by There There in second place.

Writing

First You Write a Sentence. by Joe Moran—Moran writes beautifully about writing. This book inspired many posts on this blog, including posts on: “Read critically, or write badly,” “Down with nouns,” “4 great tips for writing sentences,” “Cutting words is writing,” and “Write better sentences with Joe Moran,” This was my favorite book of 2020.

The Reader Over Your Shoulder: A Handbook for Writers of English Prose by Robert Graves, Alan Hodge

Writing to Persuade: How to Bring People Over to Your Side by Trish Hall—This book reinforces essential lessons for writers. It’s an easy read, too.

Racism

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Living and Dying in Brick City: Stories from the Front Lines of an Inner-City E.R. by Sampson Davis and Lisa Frazier Page

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo

Self-help

Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-lived, Joyful Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans—There are gazillion books that claim to help you to find what you want to do with your life. This one has some exercises that were new to me. I especially enjoyed the exercise of noting what engages you and what energizes you, so you can put more of those things in your life.

Other nonfiction

Deep South by Paul Theroux—Interesting read about poverty, racism, literature, and other aspects explored by Theroux on his drives through the deep South outside its big cities.

Know My Name by Chanel Miller

Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin This biography was fascinating for its insights into the situation of women during her life. Also, Jackson is the most famous graduate of my high school, though she only spent one year there. This was one of my favorite books of 2020.

Three Seconds Until Midnight by S. Hatfill, R. Coullhan, and J. Walsh—This 2019 book warns about the risks of a viral pandemic. I dipped into this book as part of my work preparing a quarterly client letter for one of my clients.

Novels

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro—Having lived in Japan for three years, every year I usually read at least one novel set in Japan.

The Confessions of Young Nero (Nero #1) by Margaret George

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Indelicacy by Amina Cain

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa—The story in this novel was unlike anything I’d read before.

A Murderous Malady (Florence Nightingale Mystery #2) by Christine Trent—This was one of many mysteries (too many to list) that I read to unwind.

There There by Tommy Orange

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell

Disclosure: If you click on an Amazon link in this post and then buy something, I will receive a small commission. I provide links to books only when I believe they have value for my readers.

8 ways to cut word count and boost your impact!

October 6, 2020/in editing, proofreading, writing/by Susan Weiner, CFA

Sometimes you need to cut word count (or character count). Maybe you’re answering an asset management RFP or filling a website template that limits your space. Or maybe you realize the document you’re editing is simply too long.

I have eight tips for how you can cut word count. These tips also help if you’re trying to cut your character count.

1. Cut paragraphs and sentences

You’ll lose the biggest number of words at once when you cut entire paragraphs and sentences. Read your document carefully to identify unnecessary blocks of words.

Although you can cut word count most dramatically by using this technique, I sometimes try it only after I’ve made one round of line-by-line edits. Why? Because sometimes I can’t identify superfluous content before closely reading the document.

2. Use Hemingway App

Try the Hemingway App if you don’t know where to start to cut word count. It automatically flags sentences that it considers too long. It also highlights some other potential problems that I discuss below.

I use Hemingway App last because I’m confident about where to start. However, when I’m less confident that I’ll catch all problems, Hemingway App has my back.

3. Cut adverbs and adjectives

Many adverbs and adjectives aren’t necessary. That’s especially true when you use strong verbs and nouns to carry your message.

I agree with Mark Twain. He said, “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” Also, “When you catch an adjective, kill it.”

When you use fewer adverbs and adjectives, you intensify the power of those you do use.

Hemingway App (see tip #2) identifies adverbs for you.

4. Substitute simple words for phrases

For example, “building my knowledge” becomes “learning.” “In advance of” becomes “before.”

A corollary of this tip is “Replace jargon.” However, sometimes removing jargon will boost your word count. That’s OK by me if it makes your document more readable—and you can remain within your word count limits.

You’ll find more examples in my post on “Word and phrase substitutions for economical writers.”

5. Replace passive verbs with active ones

For example, “Bond prices were depressed by the Fed’s actions” becomes “The Fed’s actions depressed bond prices.” The “after” version also makes the relationship between cause and effect easier to understand. That’s a double win!

6. Use pronouns

For example, write “it” instead of “investment philosophy,” if you refer to investment philosophy repeatedly and the meaning of “it” is clear from the context.

7. Rethink the content

Think about whether there’s a way to get to your point faster. This can help you implement my first tip. As I said in my first tip, I often leave this strategy until after a round of line edits has made me more familiar with the content and its flow.

8. Read the content out loud

When you listen to content, you can hear problems that are hard to see when you read only with your eyes.

Recent versions of Microsoft Word have a text-to-speech function called Speak. If you’re working with software that lacks this function, use the workaround I discussed in “Why I love Adobe Acrobat Pro for proofreading.”

Bonus tip: Calculate your word count

If you’re aiming for a specific word count, make sure you know how to turn on the word count feature in Microsoft Word or whatever software you’re using. This feature also shows character count—with and without spaces. Those spaces can make a difference.

If you’re not working in a program with a word count feature, you can visit a website like wordcounter.net.

Note: I edited this on Sept. 30, 2022.

Long sentences can make you more concise

Long sentences may repeat fewer words

Put subject and main verb at the beginning

Stop submitting articles as PDFs!

Why do authors send PDFs?

Why I prefer Microsoft Word

PDFs are useful later

Target a growing niche with a book as a marketing tool

Target a growing niche with a book as a marketing tool

The value of books as marketing tools

3 reasons to write a book

Top posts from 2020’s fourth quarter

Clarity over cleverness in writing

Increase the sonic force of your writing

Short words boost sonic force

Cut syllables for more sonic force

Writing tight with Trish Hall

My 2020 reading, with suggestions for you

Writing

Racism

Self-help

Other nonfiction

Novels

Top posts from 2020’s third quarter

8 ways to cut word count and boost your impact!

1. Cut paragraphs and sentences

2. Use Hemingway App

3. Cut adverbs and adjectives

4. Substitute simple words for phrases

5. Replace passive verbs with active ones

6. Use pronouns

7. Rethink the content

8. Read the content out loud

Bonus tip: Calculate your word count