The Art and Business of Online Writing_ How to Beat the Game of Capturing and Keeping Attention - Nicolas Cole-readwise

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Author: Nicolas Cole
Full Title: The Art and Business of Online Writing_ How to Beat the Game of Capturing and Keeping Attention - Nicolas Cole
Category: #books

5 key takeaways

Story beats information online. On Quora and other social platforms, answers that read like narratives—full of drama, personal stakes, or vivid details—win far more views and up-votes than straightforward explanations. Treat every question as a creative-writing prompt.
Piggy-back on existing traffic before launching your own site. Publish where audiences already gather (Quora, LinkedIn, Twitter, niche communities) instead of starting a blog from zero. A routine of daily note-taking and repurposing work insights into short posts compounds readership fast.
Let data shape style and headlines. Track how Likes, Shares, and Comments change when you alter titles, paragraph length, or formatting. Craft headlines around a clear PROMISE (desired outcome or fear avoided), use specific numbers or emotional triggers, and iterate until it hooks instantly.
Write small, write often, refine ruthlessly. Aim for at least one piece every other week for six months, using three “content buckets” (industry, role, personal interest) to stay focused. Trim filler, favor short paragraphs, and structure with the 1-3-1 intro, value-packed main points (800-1,200 words), and optional concise conclusions.
Blend credibility + entertainment without overt self-promo. Answer the reader’s burning question while weaving in personal stories or case studies that showcase your expertise. Use the formula Writing Form × Idea Type × Credibility Angle to create unique, category-defining content that stands out from generic listicles.

Highlights

But over time, I started to realize it wasn’t the informative stuff that made the front page—it was drama. (Location 78)
Every single question on Quora was a creative writing prompt. (Location 151)
The most popular answers, the ones with the most views, upvotes, and comments, weren’t “answers,” as much as they were stories. (Location 152)
Worst case scenario, I’d spend a year practicing my writing. Best case, I’d build an audience and jumpstart my career. (Location 170)
- Note: Make Videos based on quora questions
Now, this is where most people would have given up. Notoriously, human beings spend an awful lot of time imagining the big achievement we want for ourselves at the end of the journey, but struggle tremendously getting through the beginning—where we suck. (Location 177)
Over the months that followed, I started to create a routine around taking whatever I had learned that day at work and using it as inspiration for my writing on Quora. (Location 215)
Sharing thoughts, stories, opinions, and insights on a platform that already has an active audience. (Location 469)
If you regularly share industry insights in the form of quick status updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook, that’s Online Writing. (Location 473)
The reason I am so wholeheartedly against blogging as a writing strategy is because starting a blog means starting a new website, and starting a new website means starting with zero traffic. (Location 479)
One of the best examples I’ve ever seen is a website called Kindlepreneur. This is an entire website dedicated to educating self-published authors on how to optimize and maximize their self-publishing efforts. (Location 514)
There are 2 types of writers today: those who use data to inform and improve their writing, and those who fail. (Location 572)
Likes = “This is something I approve of. Nice job.” Shares = “This is something more people need to know about. This represents me.” Comments = “This is thought provoking. I agree/disagree, and I want you to know why. (Location 634)
The more unexpected the style, in the context of your category, the more likely you are to stand out. On the other hand, the more expected the style, in the context of your category, the more likely you are to sound like everyone else—and blend into the noise. (Location 785)
The secret to creating a unique writing style is by doing what would be considered “unexpected” in your chosen category. (Location 790)
The first layer is Implied Credibility. You probably don’t realize it, but whenever you consume something on the internet, it’s really not the person you judge first. It’s the content. (Location 944)
Mega-successful writers (in both big ways, like selling millions of copies of books, and small ways, in going viral on the internet), don’t compete within existing categories. What they do, intuitively, accidentally, or intentionally, is create a new category for themselves. (Location 1078)
Categories are created at unlikely intersections, spotted by writers with an intimate understanding of one or multiple sub-categories. (Location 1110)
“The number of hours I spend consuming should never equal or exceed the number of hours I spend creating.” (Location 1531)
Stage 2: Write Consistently For 6 Months And Then Make A Decision (Location 1583)
The minimum amount you should be writing and publishing new material online is once per month. That is the absolute minimum. (Location 1599)
My true “recommended minimum” however is to publish something once every other week. (Location 1603)
The way we would engineer this process for our clients at Digital Press is we would come up with three categories (“Content Buckets”) that represented who they were and what they wanted to write about. One category might be their industry (Biotech), the second might be related to their position within their company (Marketing), and the third might be a personal interest (Mountain Biking & Self-Discipline). (Location 1635)
Your job is to study the competition and understand exactly why they are succeeding in the first place. If they title their articles in all caps, why are they doing that? Was there a point in time when they weren’t doing that? What happened to their engagement once they started doing that? Have their Likes, Comments, Views, etc., increased since (Location 1681)
If they make each sentence of their post its own paragraph, why are they doing that? What’s the effect it has on you, the reader? Was there a point in time when they weren’t doing that? What happened to their engagement once they started doing that? (Location 1685)
Write fast-paced articles that use short paragraphs, declarative language, and subheads for every main point. (Location 1696)
Combine actionable advice for the reader with personal stories from your own life that illustrate how you gained the insight you’re sharing in the first place. (Location 1697)
Your job is to find the common threads, make them part of your own strategy, and then slowly over time create a style and category of your own. (Location 1716)
There are five types of writing on the internet. Form #1: Actionable Guide Form #2: Opinion Form #3: Curated List Form #4: Story Form #5: Credible Talking Head (Location 1956)
Every time you come across an article, a social media post, a free email course, an eBook, etc., I want you to pause and ask the question, “What type of writing is this?” (Location 1962)
Again, the goal of writing an Actionable Guide of any kind is to get someone to bookmark it. (Location 1997)
“Better” Quality: If everyone else writes short guides that don’t go into very much detail, you can be the one to write long, insightful, walkthrough-style guides. (Location 2002)
“Better” Experience: If everyone else writes as if they are trying to hard-sell readers into buying a product or course, only giving them 10% of the information they actually need and hoping they’ll pay for the other 90%, you can stand out by giving away that same information (and then some) for free. (Location 2018)
What this piece of writing is about Who this piece of writing is for The PROMISE: the problem that will be solved, and/or the solution being offered (Location 2168)
Before you start writing anything, the very first thing you should do is think deeply about the headline, the frame, and the focal point you are presenting to your reader. (Location 2224)
Even if you’re writing a 100-character Tweet, I encourage you to question, “What would be the headline of this Tweet?” (Location 2226)
Your headline is, quite literally, a micro-version of your entire Actionable Guide, Opinion, Curated List, Story, or Credible Talking Head monologue. (Location 2229)
What these writers fail to realize is that Subject Matter is actually what defines the size of their Audience. (Location 2236)
answer a question highly relevant to that niche—something that will resonate meaningfully with your exact target reader (Location 2252)
Now, there is a way for you to get the best of both worlds, and that’s by using niche topics to answer universal questions. (Location 2259)
The first two or three words of a headline are arguably the most important words of the sentence. (Location 2295)
The key to writing a great PROMISE is to use language that elicits an emotional response. “Trouble” is a great word because nobody likes getting into trouble, yet everyone loves hearing about other people who get in trouble. (Location 2331)
The best way to come up with a compelling PROMISE is to think deeply about 1) outcomes your readers want to receive, or 2) outcomes your readers want to avoid. (Location 2333)
“…Not Lose Your Job” is a general outcome most people want to avoid, but “…Not Get Fired On Your First Day” is a more specific, more easily imaginable outcome a lot of people actively worry about. (Location 2337)
Once you know how a headline is constructed, you can then start adding and subtracting different puzzle pieces to hook your target reader’s attention. (Location 2343)
Big Numbers: For example, “3,000 People Just Filed For Unemployment In This Small Town In Arkansas. Here’s Why.” (Location 2349)
“$400 Million Is How Much You Need To Make In Order To Afford This Insane Mansion In Malibu” is eye-catching because very few people have $400 million. Dollar signs make the Curiosity Gap wider and more interesting for readers. (Location 2352)
“How This Small Team Managed To Secure A Six-Figure Investment In Less Than 1 Week” or “This 1 Group Activity Exercise Increased An Entire Office’s Productivity By 150%.” (Location 2364)
“3 Things All Successful Small Business Owners Do To Stay Profitable.” (Location 2371)
“The 1 Thing LeBron James Does Every Morning That Earns Him An Extra $10 Million Per Year.” BuzzFeed has a rule: every writer must write 30 versions of a headline in order to find the right one. (Location 2385)
The way I write and rewrite headlines is I first try to say whatever it is I’m trying to say, in as many words as I need to say it. “The 8 Things You Should Do On A Daily Basis In Order To Become The Best Person You Can Possibly Become, No Matter What Obstacles Are In Your Way” Next, I think hard about whether or not I’ve really nailed down the PROMISE. Can I PROMISE more? What else does the reader want? What are their emotional wants, needs, and desires related to this specific problem or piece of advice? “The 8 Things You Should Do On A Daily Basis In Order To Get More Done, Achieve Your Goals, And Start Living Your Best Life” (Location 2391)
Then, once I feel like I have clarity around the PROMISE, I look for words that are still too vague. I want the reader’s eyes to skim my headline and latch on to two or three words that speak directly to the categories of their interests. “The 8 Things You Should Do On A Daily Basis To Be More Productive, Achieve Success, And Gain True Financial Freedom” Finally, I’ll go through my headline and edit out as many tiny connecting words as possible. Less is more. “8 Daily Habits That Will Make You More Productive, Achieve Success, And Gain True Financial Freedom” (Location 2397)
If I get to the end of the exercise and I like the headline in its final form, I’ll go and write the piece. And if I went through the steps and felt like I didn’t end up with something powerful enough, I’ll start back at the beginning. (Location 2405)
For example, instead of saying “7 Ways…” you could say, “7 Little-Known Ways” or “7 Small But Powerful Ways.” (Location 2417)
3 Crucial Lessons About Business You’ll Learn Working For A High-Growth Startup Founder (Location 2421)
11 Painful Mistakes Most Founders Make Right After Raising Their First Round Of Fundraising (Location 2427)
If you can say it in three sentences instead of five, try to say it in two. (Location 2437)
And if you can say it in two sentences, do your very best to say it in one. (Location 2438)
What is this about? Is this for me? What are you PROMISING and how confident am I that you’re going to deliver on that PROMISE? (Location 2451)
The very first sentence is arguably the most important sentence of the entire piece. (Location 2454)
In 1/3/1, you have one strong opening sentence, three description sentences, and then one conclusion sentence. (Location 2470)
This first sentence is your opener. This second sentence clarifies your opener. This third sentence reinforces the point you’re making with some sort of credibility or amplified description. And this fourth sentence rounds out your argument, guiding the reader toward your conclusion. This fifth sentence is your strong conclusion. (Location 2474)
The last sentence of the 1/3/1 article should be both a conclusion and a transition into the next section of the article—your Main Points. (Location 2495)
Anything that isn’t absolutely necessary, delete (Location 2531)
If the “sweet spot” of an online article is 800 to 1,200 words, then your job as a writer is to pack as much value into your Main Points as possible—without inflating the piece’s word count. (Location 2701)
Once you’ve written your introduction (or, even before you write your introduction), skeleton out your piece by listing your Main Points. (Location 2705)
Bold ½ Sentences This is one of my favorite, and yet one of the least used mechanisms in online writing. (Location 3027)
When it comes to online writing, conclusions are optional. (Location 3090)
Write confidently and declaratively. A lot of people hesitate to “make a point” or “take a stance” when writing online because they don’t want to get criticized in the comments. (Location 3248)
The more you promote yourself, the less people listen. The less you promote yourself, the more people listen. (Location 3256)
The Golden Intersection of great writing is: Answering The Reader’s Question x Telling Them An Entertaining Story (Location 3288)
The single most effective way to “promote” yourself without promoting yourself is to use you, your company, or your product as context to the thing you’re explaining to the reader. (Location 3343)
firmly believe the first six months on the internet, for any writer, should be spent exploring, practicing, and gathering data. (Location 3535)
Step 1: What “Type” Of Writing Is This? Form #1: Actionable Guide Form #2: Opinion Form #3: Curated List Form #4: Story Form #5: Credible Talking Head Step 2: What “Idea” Am I Communicating Within This Piece Of Writing? Idea #1: Explanation (When/Where/How/What/Why Something Happens) Idea #2: Habits (To Achieve A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) Idea #3: Mistakes (Keeping You From Achieving A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) Idea #4: Lessons (Learned In Pursuit Of A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) Idea #5: Tips (That Can Help You In Your Own Pursuit Of A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) Idea #6: Stories (That Symbolize Or Explain Some Aspect Of The Pursuit Of A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) Idea #7: Timely Events (That Are Relevant To The Target Reader’s Knowledge, Awareness, Or Pursuit Of A Destination, Goal, Or State Of Being) If you notice, timely “this just happened” content is only one of seven types of ideas that are communicated in written content—and yet, writers disproportionately give them priority in their libraries. Instead, I recommend you give timely content the smallest allocation of your writing portfolio. Take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves, but invest the majority of your time in building timeless assets you will be able to repurpose and reuse (and will pay you dividends) years into the future. Step 3: Why Me? Credibility #1: “I am an expert on this topic. Here’s what I think.” Credibility #2: “I went out and talked to all the trusted experts on this topic. Here are all their insights and opinions in one place.” Credibility #3: “I’m just sharing my opinion, but my opinion is the most articulate one of all.” When you combine these three steps together, you suddenly get a very easy (and replicable) equation for consistently writing high-quality, high-performing content. For example: Curated List x Mistakes x 7 Industry Experts (Credibility #2) = the outline of an article titled, “7 Founders Share The Biggest Mistakes They Made Raising Money For Their First Startups” Credibility x Explanation (Why) x Expert (Credibility #1) = the outline of an article titled, “I Was A Professional World Of Warcraft Gamer As A Teenager. Here’s Why eSports Is Going To Become A Multi-Billion- Dollar Industry” Opinion x Lessons x My Perspective (Credibility #3) = the outline of an article titled, “Our Country’s Economy Is Falling Apart. Here’s What That Looks Like For Someone Living In A Low-Income Neighborhood”) Go (Location 3570)