Clarity over cleverness in writing

“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.