Writing Effectively in Print and on the Web PRACTICAL GUIDES FOR LIBRARIANS About the Series This innovative series written and edited for librarians by librarians provides authori- tative, practical information and guidance on a wide spectrum of library processes and operations. Books in the series are focused, describing practical and innovative solutions to a problem facing today’s librarian and delivering step-by-step guidance for planning, creating, im- plementing, managing, and evaluating a wide range of services and programs. The books are aimed at beginning and intermediate librarians needing basic instruction/ guidance in a specific subject and at experienced librarians who need to gain knowledge in a new area or guidance in implementing a new program/service. About the Series Editor The Practical Guides for Librarians series was conceived by and is edited by M. Sandra Wood, MLS, MBA, AHIP, FMLA, Librarian Emerita, Penn State University Libraries. M. Sandra Wood was a librarian at the George T. Harrell Library, The Milton S. Her- shey Medical Center, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, for over 35 years, specializing in reference, educational, and database services. Ms. Wood worked for several years as a Development Editor for Neal-Schuman Publishers. Ms. Wood received an MLS from Indiana University and an MBA from the University of Maryland. She is a Fellow of the Medical Library Association and served as a member of MLA’s Board of Directors from 1991 to 1995. Ms. Wood is founding and current edi- tor of Medical Reference Services Quarterly, now in its 35th volume. She also was founding editor of the Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet and the Journal of Electronic Re- sources in Medical Libraries and served as editor/co-editor of both journals through 2011. Titles in the Series 1. How to Teach: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Beverley E. Crane 2. Implementing an Inclusive Staffing Model for Today’s Reference Services by Julia K. Nims, Paula Storm, and Robert Stevens 3. Managing Digital Audiovisual Resources: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Matthew C. Mariner 4. Outsourcing Technology: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Robin Hastings 5. Making the Library Accessible for All: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Jane Vincent 6. Discovering and Using Historical Geographic Resources on the Web: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Eva H. Dodsworth and L. W. Laliberté 7. Digitization and Digital Archiving: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Elizabeth R. Leggett 8. Makerspaces: A Practical Guide for Librarians by John J. Burke 9. Implementing Web-Scale Discovery Services: A Practical Guide for Librarians by JoLinda Thompson 10. Using iPhones and iPads: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Matthew Connolly and Tony Cosgrave 11. Usability Testing: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Rebecca Blakiston 12. Mobile Devices: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Ben Rawlins 13. Going Beyond Loaning Books to Loaning Technologies: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Janelle Sander, Lori S. Mestre, and Eric Kurt 14. Children’s Services Today: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Jeanette Larson 15. Genealogy: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Katherine Pennavaria 16. Collection Evaluation in Academic Libraries: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Karen C. Kohn 17. Creating Online Tutorials: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Hannah Gascho Rempel and Maribeth Slebodnik 18. Using Google Earth in Libraries: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Eva Dodsworth and Andrew Nicholson 19. Integrating the Web into Everyday Library Services: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Elizabeth R. Leggett 20. Infographics: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Beverley E. Crane 21. Meeting Community Needs: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Pamela H. MacKellar 22. 3D Printing: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Sara Russell Gonzalez and Denise Beaubien Bennett 23. Patron-Driven Acquisitions in Academic and Special Libraries: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Steven Carrico, Michelle Leonard, and Erin Gallagher 24. Collaborative Grant-Seeking: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Bess G. de Farber 25. Story-Time Success: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Katie Fitzgerald 26. Teaching Google Scholar: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Paige Alfonzo 27. Teen Services Today: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Sara K. Joiner & Geri Swanzy 28. Data Management: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Margaret E. Henderson 29. Online Teaching and Learning: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Beverley E. Crane 30. Writing Effectively in Print and on the Web: A Practical Guide for Librarians by Rebecca Blakiston Writing Effectively in Print and on the Web A Practical Guide for Librarians Rebecca Blakiston PRACTICAL GUIDES FOR LIBRARIANS, NO. 30 ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD Lanham • Boulder • New York • London Published by Rowman & Littlefield A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www.rowman.com Unit A, Whitacre Mews, 26-34 Stannary Street, London SE11 4AB Copyright © 2017 by Rowman & Littlefield All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available 978-1-4422-7885-1 (pbk : alk. paper) 978-1-4422-7886-8 (electronic) ™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Printed in the United States of America To Gibberz Doodle Bean, aka “The Gibbs,” who brought so much joy to our lives. She’s barking at angels now. Contents List of Tables xi Preface xiii Acknowledgments xv CHAPTER 1 Why Good Writing Matters 1 CHAPTER 2 Knowing Your Readers 11 CHAPTER 3 Defining Your Message and Purpose 21 CHAPTER 4 Keeping It Simple 29 CHAPTER 5 Using Authentic and Active Voice 41 CHAPTER 6 Writing Titles and Headings 53 CHAPTER 7 Using Lists and Tables 69 CHAPTER 8 Writing Information and Instructions 77 CHAPTER 9 Writing Forms 89 CHAPTER 10 Writing for the Web 101 CHAPTER 11 Writing for Emails and Other Messaging Systems 113 CHAPTER 12 Implementing Voice and Tone 125 CHAPTER 13 Formatting Your Content 135 CHAPTER 14 Refining Your Process 143 Index 155 About the Author 161 ▲ ix List of Tables Table 3.1. Placement of Call to Action 26 Table 3.2. Ways to Order Content 27 Table 4.1. Strong Words Replacing Adverb Phrases 32 Table 4.2. Simplified Phrases and Words 37 Table 4.3. Simplified Sentences 38 Table 5.1. Revisions to Reflect Human, Conversational Style 44 Table 5.2. Revisions to Reflect Active Voice and Simpler Language 49 Table 6.1. Revisions to Make Titles More Meaningful, Succinct, and Action-Oriented 59 Table 6.2. Revisions to More Useful Headings 64 Table 6.3. Revisions to Improve Consistency 67 Table 7.1. Example of a Table for Comparing Numbers 74 Table 7.2. Example of a Table for Related Content 74 Table 8.1. Signs Revised to Be Less Negative 80 Table 8.2. Revised Headings for Instructions 87 Table 9.1. Simplified Field Labels 92 Table 9.2. Improved Survey Invitations 98 Table 9.3. Form Titles Revised to Action Phrases 98 ▲ xi Table 10.1. Examples of Trigger Words 104 Table 10.2. Examples of Calls to Action 105 Table 10.3. Revised, Simplified Homepage Copy 105 Table 10.4. Revised Link Labels 109 Table 11.1. Ambiguous Subject Lines Revised to Be More Descriptive 114 Table 11.2. Subject Lines Revised to Be Brief Yet Meaningful 115 Table 11.3. Revised Links in Email Messages 120 Table 12.1. Content Revised to Reflect Approachable Voice 127 Table 12.2. Content Revised to Tell a Story 131 Table 12.3. Examples of Voice and Tone Guidelines 132 Table 14.1. Prompts for Testing Content with Real People 150 xii ▲ LIST OF TABLES Preface Writing plays a role in almost everything we do. It’s how we document our knowledge, share our stories, and ask our communities for help. It’s a tool to teach, influence, and persuade those around us. And in today’s digital age, we’re all publishers, sharing content with the world at the push of a button (literally). From webpages, to signage, to emails— writing is fundamental to our everyday lives. Sadly, there’s a lot of mediocre content out there: policy-driven websites with moun- tains of text, building signs that don’t actually tell you what you need to know, convoluted emails that leave you wondering , What was the point of that? Today’s reader is bombarded with endless streams of information and simply doesn’t have time to sift through and make sense of it all. Let’s do our part to end the madness. Writing Effectively in Print and on the Web: A Practical Guide for Librarians encourages you to put your readers at the heart of all your content, ensuring that it is engaging, relevant, and useful. You’ll learn techniques to write with clarity, precision, and purpose, which will serve you well in both your professional and your personal life. I truly enjoyed writing this book. I’ve always enjoyed nonfiction writing—studying English in college and taking pride in my analytical essays and argumentative papers. When my career path led me to focus on user experience, I quickly learned the power of the written word in the context of service and product design. At the University of Arizona Libraries, I’ve led our website content efforts for the past five years—creating an editorial style guide, voice and tone standards, and comprehensive training for all web content writers in the library.