You-Turns to avoid I-Strain

A short but powerfully convincing article by Anne Miller, publisher of the "Make What You Say, Pay" newsletter, makes the following very important point for all writers.

You can significantly increase the impact of your writing by recognizing that most people are more interested in hearing and reading about what matters to them than what matters to you. After all, as Ms Miller asks with tongue in cheek, would you rather look at pictures of her family or your own?

So unless you're writing an autobiography, make sure the writing is about your reader, not about yourself.

A simple exercise can quickly help. Find all instances of first-person pronouns (I, me, my) to identify where you've been writing from your own, rather than your reader's, point of view. Then rewrite those sentences!

For instance, instead of writing "We provide our clients with improved products," try "You will benefit from improved products."

To read the full article and many more with great tips for your writing, I recommend that you sign up for the "Make What You Say, Pay" newsletter at www.annemiller.com and read it faithfully. If writing convincing copy is important to you, it's well worth your time.