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Sell yourself, sell your work

(www.solipsys.co.uk)
449 points ColinWright | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.218s | source
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Nevermark ◴[] No.43480013[source]
My writing rules are:

* Explain, don’t “sell”. If something is significant and you explain it well, the significance will be obvious without artificial emphasis.

* Explain, don’t “persuade”. Don’t assume agreement before or after. Make your reasoning clear. Don’t assert credibility or pressure for acceptance.

* Clarity and brevity compound each other. If you are clear, you don’t have to spell out every detail, or review important points.

If you find yourself trying to explain what you have explained, you have not been clear or concise and are now spiraling. Rethink. Rewrite.

* Finally, state your main point/purpose up front. For everything, every section, every paragraph. Gets attention. Filters readers by relevance. Assists clarity & brevity.

——

Avoid mixing multiple or deeper points, that are better communicated separately.

Find an unmissable visual way to indicate where the first point/purpose was accomplished, and additional material has a related but new purpose.

replies(3): >>43482576 #>>43492598 #>>43493919 #
1. dalmo3 ◴[] No.43492598[source]
Thank you. Theso are excellent. I'll be coming back to this comment often until I internalise it all. And I don't even write in public, but I want to improve, for work, and for myself.

Ps: the irony on the second paragraph of the third point wasn't lost ;)