Shrinking word counts...

CatMuse33

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I'm noticing a trend toward much shorter articles, now even in print magazines. This has been going on a while... but now it's not unusual for me to get assignments for articles of 1000, 700 or even 500 words for magazines.

The problem? The editors in some cases are still looking for multiple sources... like 4 or 5. Is anyone else struggling with this? I feel like meaty articles for print are turning into fluff.

Any tips on how to take these articles and still make them relevant and informative? I feel like I'm writing fluff.

My rule of thumb used to be approx. 400 - 500 words per interview subject. Now I sometimes have only 200 (And that includes title, job description and website!)

I'm enjoying the challenge but wondering how other writers are dealing with this if they're experiencing the same thing.

Dawn
 

ATP

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shorter word counts=decreasing revenue

I haven't directly experienced this, but have noted this amongst other freelancers certainly over the past 2 years, and I am of the impression even later.

...Four or five sources for less word count? Really??

This has to be coupled with the massive retrenchments in the US print media generally--hence, for freelance writers, declining revenues (despite the pundits' statements of greater opportunities for freelancers...)

I prefer the meaty feature articles--in fact, I am a features writer, despite the not inconsiderable difficulties such provided. Your response indicates what i can expect as I slowly try to get back into the market.

I am trying to cast my net as wide as possible now.
 
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Carradee

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I've always written on the short end, anyway, and I write web content, but I remember getting assignments with 800-word minimums just 5 years ago. Recently, I've gotten closer to 500-word assignments, and one client wants no more than 300 words.

Attention spans seem to have gotten shorter in general.
 

ATP

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I will also add to this, although slightly off-topic--if the OP is an indication of decreasing word counts, then so to is the level of activity in this very forum.

I recall that quite some years ago, it was very active. Now, just look at the level of activity. And I think that this is not attributable to the weather ie. winter.
 
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Plan

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Unless we're talking about extremes, word count has very little to do with substance.

In fact, it's much more difficult to pen a tight, 500-word story than it is to write the same story in 1,200 words. Crafting a tight story is an art.

Do most subjects demand 1,000 or 2,000 words? Unless we're talking about long-form feature and profile writing, or enterprise-level investigative journalism, the answer is usually no.

Squeezing four or five sources into 1,000 or 700 words is definitely doable, especially when you consider the fact that most quotes are unnecessary. If a quote is spectacular and really moves the story, use it. Otherwise, throw it out.

I know quoting is a tough habit to break. We often quote because we feel obligated, or because we want to show that we actually did speak to a source. But paraphrasing is almost always the better choice for pacing and for the reader.

As a reporter, I often bumped up against space limitations, and earlier in my career I often found myself wishing I had more real estate to fill up. But as an editor, I've learned to purge stories of unnecessary language, quotes, tangents and anything that doesn't advance the story. Now I am comfortable taking a chainsaw to stories, because an editor must feel empowered to streamline copy for the benefit of the reader.

So yeah...I see word limits as a challenge, not a hindrance. Hope that helps.
 

Plan

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There's one more thing I feel is important to address here.

Why allocate a set number of words to each source? They either have something interesting to say or they don't. If you spend a half hour interviewing someone and you get one good quote out of it, you should feel empowered to use the good stuff and toss the rest out.

Obligation to the reader supersedes obligation to the source. When we interview a person, we do often feel obligated to include as much of the conversation as possible. I know the feeling well. But oftentimes that's at odds with the flow of the story, and if we allow ourselves to feel obligated to the source, we risk putting the reader to sleep.

When I got my first gig, I asked a friend for advice, since he'd graduated a year earlier and landed a reporting gig with the Hartford Courant.

Notes, he said, almost always looked like this: "Garbage, garbage, useful, garbage, garbage, garbage, useful."

It was great advice. Nowadays, I realize the garbage/useful ratio is usually something like 90 percent/10 percent.

And to reshape a story from passable to great, any notion of source sequence has to go out the window along with the garbage. I know it can feel odd and even wrong at first, but after a while it becomes second nature and essential to the kind of pacing that separates a good story from a great one.

Cheers.
 

CatMuse33

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Plan,
Thank you!! Your advice definitely helps. I think it was a rule of thumb I learned early on, to sort of give a sense of 'equality" to all the sources. A few editors had given me that tip very early in my career. I need to get over feeling bad if one source only gives me one quotable line. ;) The source sequence thing doesn't bother me at all, though. :)

ATP - I agree with you on both points but I think we're talking about two different things. Why isn't this forum more active? I have no idea. But I'm pretty sure print publications are shrinking word counts due to diminishing budgets and diminishing attention spans. We've always been a loquacious, attentive bunch here at AW. But I still see some of the old regulars sometimes.

My theory on that is that the support network and advice here at AW going back about 2 years was just SO good, that we are all off now earning full-time livings as freelance writers and have less time to spend on AW. :D That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Carradee - Yes, with blogging, it's gone from 400 - 600 word posts being the norm to many clients wanting just 250 or so. I don't have as much of a challenge there, though. :) And rates have remained stable or gone up, so it's actually a pretty cool trend.
 

Ulee_Lhea

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Interesting thread!

While there are still plenty of markets for feature-length pieces, seems like the bulk of the new opportunities for freelance journalism are online. I think that definitely contributes to the feeling that word counts are shrinking, because almost by definition online pieces are shorter.

I'm always heartened to pick up a mag these days with a nice, long-form feature story. As an avid reader I've noted a couple of "redesigns" that allow information to be delivered in lists, flowcharts, info bites. I think this definitely speaks to the declining attention spans of the readership - especially when mags structure their features this way (I can think of at least one household name that does so).

On the web, well, I think short word counts and interactive-type formats are more understandable. It's just too distracting an environment to expect most readers to plow through a 5,000 word piece. You've got your Twitter feed down in the corner, hyperlinks in the text, ads, e-mail and so many other things competing for your attention.

I subscribe to Outside, because I've loved their long-form features for decades. I don't want this kind of writing to die!
 

CatMuse33

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Ulee,
Yes, I'm with you! I'd hate for meaty features in print magazines to die. I realized -- since I'm now getting back into writing more for print -- I really need to start reading more print magazines!! My motivation to become a freelance writer was just a love for magazines from the time I knew how to read. (I used to LOVE stealing my mom's Family Circle or Women's World or whatever).

Last night I picked up Rachael Rae's magazine and was a bit disappointed to see that one of the articles I was really looking forward to was actually a single page, with a huge graphic at the top, and MAYBE 500 words of text.

One benefit -- these type of pieces can be quicker to write, once you get out of the mindset of "over-researching," thinking you need to write 1200 to 2000 words.

Dawn
 

Bushrat

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I mostly write about the outdoors and nature, and haven't encountered a drastically shrunk word count. I wrote a 3,000 word article a couple months ago for a kayaking magazine and some other articles around the 2,000 word mark last year.
Have you looked into writing about topics where you can also supply the pictures? That'll bump up your income quite a bit.
 

Cate

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I find that shorter pieces make me think of more interesting questions so that the quotes provide more "added value".

It's easy to ask questions that just back up your facts, but more challenging (and I would say more interesting) to find a unique angle that make the quote a "wow" ...

Hope that helps! :)