Readability

10 ways to slim down obese copy

by Matthew Stibbe on April 15, 2010

Shorter, punchier copy is more readable and more memorable than obese copy. You can test this in your own life. Why do we like top ten lists, for example? The claim is also supported by experimental data; such as Jakob Nielsen’s research. So how do you put your copy on a diet? Zap filler text. [...]

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40 essential online apps for freelancers

by Matthew Stibbe on March 22, 2010

Online applications give me a competitive edge. I want to be a ‘big little company’ with the same (or better) IT capabilities as the biggest of my clients. I try to make the maximum use of online applications because they let me deploy new capabilities quickly without adding to my IT or admin burdens. This [...]

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Free tools for writers

by Matthew Stibbe on June 4, 2009

I have updated the writing tools on Articulate’s website and added a new one. They are free to use and I hope people find them helpful. Feedback and suggestions are welcome. Readability calculator This is a fantastic tool to calculate readability scores for blocks of text (just cut and paste) or websites (just enter a [...]

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Tools for writing: Bullfighter

by Matthew Stibbe on July 26, 2006

I mentioned Bullfighter a few weeks ago in a ‘pick of the web‘ post. I’ve now had a chance to use it properly on a 6,500 technical white paper and I can review it properly. It works with Microsoft Word 2003. Once installed (it’s a free download), it appears as a small toolbar. There are [...]

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