Post: #1

I started a site to discuss literature, life lessons and other fairly wordy topics.
Looking around, I notice that the average blog post is never that long-1500 words is the mean.
Do any experienced writers feel that the average reader's attention will be held long enough to read a post maybe twice that long? My posts use a book as a jumping off point to discuss professional writing and the publishing industry, lessons drawn from books and a range of literary topics, so even after editing most drafts, they're pretty long.
Should I break a post up into a series if it was above a certain length?
I was reading The Shallows recently to find themes for future posts, and it does seem that people want "bites" of information rather than a big meal.
Thoughts?

Post: #2

Personally I think all the hype about 500 words has nothing to do with peoples attention spam but the reason thats big is they say for SEO search engines like articles around that length. Also considering most bloggers write for profit it's easier to pump out a bunch of 500 word articles than it is a bunch of 1500 word articles.

As a reader everyone wants something concise and not rambling but that doesn't mean long is bad, you should write as long as it takes to conciesely but adaquetly get your point across and explain to the reader whatever your trying to explain or express. Personally I've read 500 word articles that bored me and read 5 page articles that I couldn't stop reading so length is kind of irrelevent if what your saying is interesting.

Honestly I think blog posts have kind of gotten too short oftentimes. I read alot of articels like 5 ways to do this, 10 ways to do this and its nothing but vague lists. Lots of times I find a topic interesting but wish the article was longer. I can't stand these articles where its 5 or 10 things and you have to keep clicking to a new page to see the next thing on the list. I actually kind of enjoy longer articles

Post: #3

It's not uncommon for us on ROK to go around 2,000 words depending on the subject. Sometimes you're discussing a topic that needs more explanation and in-depth analysis than another, for example. Other times you want to paint a mental picture and really engage the reader in the environment and story you're trying to create.

Wordiness just for the sake of words, though, isn't advisable. The length of what you write should be commensurate to the topic.

Post: #4

Personally, I don't think you should write for the average reader.
You should write for the that 10% of people that are super passionate about your topic.

With longer pieces
- if you have time, take the time to edit
- use formatting to assist the reader
- use a road map at the beginning of the piece
- really work on transitioning from thought to thought

Ideally, you want your non-fiction to read like a page turner.

WIA

Post: #5

I read much more than I write, but two things stick out to me when I think about my favorite blog posts:

1) They hook me with a quick introduction, and save the "meatier" parts for the middle/end.

By this I mean, you don't want a twenty-sentence opening paragraph that meanders all over the place before arriving at the topic. I keep about a dozen blogs on my RSS feed, and I generally use the title and first two or three sentences to decide if a given post is worth my time. Hit the reader hard with an intriguing title and short intro; if they're truly interested in the subject, they'll stick through denser or longer posts.

2) Break up paragraphs as often as possible.

This has to do more with formatting than content, but whenever I see anything even close to resembling a wall of text, I tend to avoid it. MikeCF does a great job with this at Danger & Play:

He'll start with a bold, interesting sentence.

And then he'll add on a little more.

Then some more. Maybe a bit more.

See how much easier this is to read than five sentences all mashed together?

You don't have to cut anything out, and you don't have to water down your post in order to keep the reader's attention. Just spacing things out, giving each thought its own little bubble, makes it easier for both the eyes and the brain to process.

While I think these are solid tips for any blogger, these do apply more to the average reader. Like WIA said, your strategy may differ depending on who you're targeting. I'd try a couple different styles, and then solicit reader feedback on what they most prefer.

Post: #6

Farnamstreetblog is about discussing, sort of, literature and business, etc. His posts, without actually counting words, are generally far beyond 500 words and that site gets plenty of followers.

Like WIA said, write for those of your audience that are interested. Write what you need to write to get your point across. That being said, be able to edit and remove the fluff from longer posts. If it is good people will read it.