One of the cardinal errors for writers and editors is to think an article headline should be ‘interesting.’
That’s absolutely the worst thing you can possible be thinking! Time to get smart! You need to think about the whole psychology of the thing.
You can have a very funny and thought-provoking concept, and that’s great. But remember: you’re not sitting in a seminar room, discussing your piece in detail. You only have ONE shot to grab the reader’s attention! If they don’t click, your whole great concept goes to waste.
It’s painful, but try not to flaunt your great concept. Show a little bit, but leave the reader on the hook. Use an element of mystery, so they can’t help but find out more.
Tantalise them. If you just drop your underwear immediately and act too keen, they will just snigger and move on.
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Examples?
No, I’m not going to spoonfeed you.
Like I said, an air of mystery.
Have a look around, and see what actually works, and what doesn’t!
Examples:
Oh and before we go: here are two exciting satirists! Follow Brian’s Youtube channel!
Oh and by the way: yes, customising the ‘more’ tags does help! If you don’t know that a more tag is, or how to customise it, here’s a quick guide. More great editing and writing advice for satirists coming soon! Let me know if you have any ideas about what you’d like to see.