The writing advice no one tells authors

Why your beautifully written newsletter might be completely unreadable

Photo by Ben Kolde on Unsplash

Hey there,

So I just finished reviewing a client's About page—800 words of thoughtful writing about her transition work. Her ideas and style were excellent.

But…the formatting made it impossible to read.

Here's what happened: She'd opened with three compelling questions, then followed with dense paragraphs that told her entire professional story.

Beautiful on paper. Unreadable on the screen.

This happens more often than you'd think. We picture our readers settling in with a piping hot cup of Paris tea, ready to absorb every carefully chosen word.

When the reality is more like this: They’ve clicked on your link on their phone while thinking about taking a break to make that piping hot tea, and trying to check their bank balance at the same time. (Multitasking :)

People scan first, then decide what deserves their full attention.

So here are three things I find myself explaining to clients consistently:

The Eye-Glazing Problem

When we encounter dense blocks of text online, our eyes glaze over. It's not laziness—we're managing constant information overload. We skim by necessity, looking for what matters most.

The Bolding Strategy

I bold key phrases throughout a page to create what I call a "second storyline." Readers can follow the bolded elements, grasp the main points, then circle back to read everything if it resonates. (You might be doing that right now. 🙄)

White Space as Strategy

Short paragraphs—two to three sentences—give readers' eyes somewhere to rest. This isn't about simplifying your ideas; it's about making them accessible to people reading on screens.

The goal isn't prettier formatting. (As much as we all like that.) It's acknowledging how people actually read online.

Test this: Read your next newsletter draft on your phone first. If you find yourself scrolling past your own work, your readers probably will too.

What's one formatting change you could make in your next newsletter?

Hit reply or leave a comment and let me know.

P.S. I'm hosting a 🎙️ Substack Live this Friday, June 6th, at 1:30pm CST with Kevin Rogers of Copy Chief. We'll be chatting about the future of copywriting and AI—should be an interesting conversation about how fast and intensely it’s evolving.

📧 An email reminder (or two:) will be landing in your inbox this week: here’s the link to join us live!