Is there really, truly an ideal length for articles?
Is there an ideal length for articles?
(6 posts) (6 voices)
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Thanks for the question. I've read many times that the ideal length is 400 - 700 words. I've read articles that were more than 700 words, but they held my attention. Holding the readers attention is the key, plus you want them to come back to your site over and over again. Hook them and draw them in with great material and perhaps they will stay and read an article that is longer than 700 words. Hope this helped.
Posted 2 years ago # -
DuchessOfWriting
MemberI also read that the ideal length is 400 - 700 words. However, I believe if you have great material it will not matter the length of your article. I'm not saying re-write "War and Peace," but I do believe in listening to your "gut instincts." Feel free to post a longer article here and there.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Excellent question Martha! And @OTRA, I tend to agree with you - it's hard for busy people to carve out enough time to read a really lengthy article unless they are really interested in it.
Keep in mind that there is a big difference in articles for print publication and those for online publication - and if you're writing for someone else they may simply tell you how many words they want. Typically online readers have less attention span -- and so prefer shorter articles -- than someone who is relaxing with a good travel magazine.
Another thing you can consider if you've written a really long article and can't bear to edit anything out is to "serialize" it - cut it into two, three, or even four parts and post them over a series of days or weeks. This works well when your article has natural shifts in direction or the information presented.
Posted 2 years ago #
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