Writing for Busy Readers

We were all taught the fundamentals of writing well in school. But how do we write effectively in today's hyper-interactive world?

When The Elements of Style and On Writing Well were published in 1959 and 1976, the internet hadn't been invented. Since then, there has been a radical transformation in how we communicate. The average American adult receives over 120 emails and over 100 text messages each day. With all this correspondence, gaining a busy reader's attention is now a competition.

Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink, both behavioral scientists, offer practical writing advice you can use today. They begin by outlining cognitive facts about how busy people read, then detail six research-backed principles for effective writing:

Use fewer wordsLower the reading levelUse formatting judiciouslyMake the purpose clear for skimmersEmphasize value for readersMake responding as easy as possible

Including many examples, a checklist and other tools for the most effective writing, this handbook will make you a more effective communicator. Rogers and Lasky-Fink bring Strunk, White, and Zinsser's core ideas into the 21st century's radically transformed attention marketplace.

About the Author

Todd Rogers is a Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University, where he has won teaching awards for the past six consecutive years. He is a behavioral scientist and the co-founder of the Analyst Institute and Everyday Labs. His opinion pieces have appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and Politico, among others. Jessica Lasky-Fink is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, a senior analyst at EveryDay Labs, and an associate fellow with the Office of Evaluation Sciences. Her research focuses on improving the delivery of social services by connecting low-income populations to government programs.

Author Residence: Cambridge/Boston/Arlington MA

Author Hometown: Seattle and Philadelphia, PA