2. COVARIO’S EDITORIAL PHILOSOPHY
Articles should be informative, accurate, concise
and engaging to the reader.
Writers should avoid using unnecessary verbiage
and instead seek to deliver the main points of the
article clearly and directly.
Readers should not have to wade through long
paragraphs of copy just to find the information they
want.
Writers should make it easy for readers to find the
information they are seeking by organizing and
writing in a logical fashion.
3. 10 POINTS TO BETTER WRITING
Good writing is a process on which every writer is
constantly working to improve. Even the most
experienced writers are learning new skills and
honing their craft.
Organization is more than half of the writing
process. By taking a few minutes to organize an
article before sitting down to write, a writer can save
valuable time later on revisions and editing.
4. 1: AVOID ABSOLUTE STATEMENTS
Refrain from presenting statements of belief or
opinion as fact. Offering opinion may
acceptable, but not if that opinion is presented as
fact.
Example: “Apple certainly will dominate the market
with its latest iPhone” is better stated as “Apple may
dominate the market with its latest iPhone.”
Example: “As we all know, Android is far superior to
iOS” is better stated as “Some smartphone users
consider Android to be far superior to iOS.”
5. 2. STAY ON TOPIC
Deliver what your headline promises to the reader.
A reader who clicks on a headline that is of interest
to them, only to find the article does not address the
topic or takes too long to get to the relevant
points, is not a happy reader.
Be sure that every word you write works toward this
ultimate goal. Don’t write just to write. Rather, write
to inform, engage and entertain the reader.
If you find yourself rambling and writing about
topics that do not contribute to your article or the
headline, stop typing. Take a minute to organize
your article.
6. 3: BE MORE OBJECTIVE AND LESS
OPINIONATED
In general, content should be more objective and
less subjective or opinionated. Writers should avoid
statements like “Apple is sure to suffer.”
Instead, balance that assertion by saying instead
“Apple may suffer” or “some industry watchers
expect Apple sales to suffer.” Softening subjective
language makes copy less offensive and more
approachable to a wider range of readers.
7. 4: USE SUBHEADS TO CATEGORIZE AND
BREAK UP COPY
Subheads help to break up the copy visually and
make it easier for readers to quickly scan the article
to find out if the topic is something they what they
want to read about.
When possible, make these subheads interesting to
engage readers and encourage them to keep
reading.
Include a final paragraph to sum up the main points
of the article, state or reinforce an opinion
presented and provide some creative flair to end
the article on a high note.
8. 5: WHEN POSSIBLE, USE BULLETED LISTS
RATHER THAN LONG COPY BLOCKS
Readers prefer web copy that is easier to scan and
digest.
In almost all cases, when listing the benefits of a
smartphone or tips for saving money on your
monthly data plan, a couple short introductory
paragraphs followed by a concise bulleted list and a
summary paragraph is preferable and more easily
consumed by readers than a long copy block listing
all the same information.
9. 6: FOLLOW AP STYLE FOR NUMBERS
Example: “There are nine models of smartphones
and 15 models of tablets available.”
Example: “Twenty years ago, the iPhone was not
yet created.”
10. 7: USE SINGULAR PRONOUNS FOR
COMPANIES
Companies are singular entities, not groups of
people.
Example: “Apple unveiled its latest iPhone on
Wednesday.”
11. 8: AVOID USING UNCLEAR DATES
Web copy can remain live and searchable for many
years while printed copy has a more limited
lifespan.
When articles refer to “in late October” or “this past
spring,” it causes unnecessary confusion on the
reader’s part as to what time is being referenced.
Example: “In January 2013, the latest update was
released.”
12. 9: USE “CONSUMERS” OR “USERS” INSTEAD
OF “YOU.”
Avoid first-party direction, unless it works as part of
the overall piece.
Ex: “Consumers will enjoy the phone’s streamlined
navigation” instead of “You will enjoy the phone’s
streamlined navigation”
13. 10: AVOID EXCESSIVE INDUSTRY SPEAK AND
TERMS
In general, we should strive to explain the rather
complex and technical topics we write about to a
general audience. We should avoid language, tone
or topics better suited for articles in a technology
industry trade journal.
Our writers should be doing a better job of
explaining the advantages of a tablet over a laptop
or what to expect next in the development of
phablets in easy-to-understand terms that a general
readership audience expects.
