Welcome back to part 2 of this mini-series on writing for Listverse. We won't waste any more time, let’s continue with the tips for writing the perfect list:

Make Sure You are Familiar with The Guidelines

No matter which website you submit writing to, they will all have their own set of editorial guidelines; Listverse is the same. Make sure you read them before you get down to the challenging work of writing. You might have gotten several articles published on one website, but the chances of their guidelines being the same are very slim – the last thing you want is the editor kicking your work out and branding it utter rubbish, just because you didn’t conform to what they want.

Add Some Style

We all know that the very best English to use is simple English. All the big writers, Hemingway, Orwell and Thompson, all used short sentences to talk about complicated matters. They didn’t use too many words, they didn’t use big words, they wrote in a style that meant anyone could understand what was being conveyed and that is how you should write. Keep things short, to the point, add some punch and don’t overdo the information.

People read these lists because they have five minutes to kill, not two hours to wade through long, complex writing that they lose interest in. They want to feel like they have gained some knowledge in that five minutes, something simple.

Don’t Be Formal

Have a look through Listverse; you will spot that the lists are all somewhat informal. There are a few jokes littered about, a bit of slang and a really conversational feel. People don’t like to feel as though they are being lectured to; they want to feel as though they are having a light-hearted but informative chat with their best mate. They may not agree with what their mate is saying, but they understand where they are coming from and what they are saying.

See Listverse as a place that people visit to unwind after a heavy day at work and you won’t go too far wrong.

Your Title is Very Important

Not too many people pay attention to their titles, but think about it; this is the first thing that people see and if it doesn’t grab their attention, you’ve lost them straight away. So, how do you write that best-selling title? It's very simple really; it must grab attention, shock your reader and tell them exactly what they are going to be reading in no more than about 5 words. People want to think that they are going to read an interesting take on an age-old subject, or that they are about to learn some astounding facts that they just can’t pass up. Get your title right and you will be several steps ahead of the competition.

Are you getting there? You should by now have your subject, the angle and the title. You know what Listverse expects of you and you are ready to write. Head to the final part of the series to find out how to make all your writing dreams come true.