Whether writing a project justification, technical manual, theses or blog the words you write have power to not only capture the attention of the reader but also engage them in your ideas; always consider the impact of the words you write. With this in mind I am delighted to present a special guest post from Joanna Young of Confident Writing blog.

6 Ways to Keep Your Readers Happy

Whatever your line of work, chances are that writing will come into it somewhere down the line. Maybe you need to explain systems and processes, promote a new product, write some creative copy to add on to your web site, or blog about the work that you and your colleagues are doing.

The secret to doing this with the least amount of pain for you – and the people reading it – is to focus not on writing glittering prose but on writing that will keep your readers happy. Here are 6 ways that you can do just that:

Keep it short: most of us have far too much information to read. Keep your writing as short as you can – as many words as you need, and not a word more – and your readers will thank you. If you know you tend to go on a bit, print out your work, leave it for a while then go back to it with a pen to look for the words, sentences or even paragraphs that can easily be cut out. Editing can be a satisfying job!

Keep it simple: make a virtue of keeping your writing simple. It’s much easier to read and will save your readers time. Look for ways to simplify your sentences, your choice of words, and the concepts you chose to explain something. Make simplicity your focus to keep your readers smiling.

Keep it plain: this is particularly important in the technology field, but in most walks of business life you’ll find writing that’s awash with long words and jargon – which means it’s very hard to read. Do your readers a favour and go for plain English whenever you can. This is not a sign of weakness – it’s a sign that you care about the reading experience, and have made the effort to find the best words to help your readers through it.

Keep it friendly: this depends a bit on the context for your writing, but look for ways to soften your tone and make your writing more conversational. Think about one person you’re trying to help or connect with – that’ll help you get the tone right. Smile when you’re writing: it has an automatic effect of softening your language and choice of words. (Honestly – go on, try it!)

Keep it accurate: your writing doesn’t need to be sparkling prose, but it does need to be accurate and free of obvious grammar mistakes. They’ll trip your readers up and slow their reading down. If you know you’re liable to trip up with some words (like “you’re” and “your” or “it’s” and “its”) ask a friend or colleague to have a quick check through of your work before you send it off.

Keep to the point: keep your focus on the point of your writing, why it matters and why your readers might want to read it. It’ll help you put all the other points into practice – not least keeping it short and simple. If you find you’ve got too many ideas to stick to one point, jot them down on a separate piece of paper and then decide if they deserve a place in this piece of writing or can wait for something else.

These are some simple but effective ways to get your writing done – with confidence, I hope – and keep your readers happy while you go. Keep your focus on what they want, what they need to know and how you can make their reading experience as easy and enjoyable as possible and you won’t go far wrong.

This piece was written by Joanna Young. For more writing tips and virtual coaching on how to write with confidence check out her Confident Writing blog http://confidentwriting.com

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