Amazon, the world's largest retailer, is worth $1.3 trillion
Bezos trains his writers using the famous 6-page memo
So I spent hours studying them to know why they work
Here are 5 writing principles worth your time :
1. Avoid jargon, acronyms, and buzzwords
Know your audience before using Acronym
• Explain technical terms first time they appear
• Don't try to sound clever, be clear instead
• Say what you mean, in plain language, and let the reader decide whether it was "groundbreaking"
2. Use fewer than 30 words per sentence
• Focus on one idea per sentence
• Strip out qualifiers like "I think," "I feel," "should we consider"
• Eliminate anything that reads like "style." Don't use your writing to extend your personal brand
3. Replace adjectives with data
Don't force readers to interpret your meaning
• People don't like buzzwords
• Adjectives are vague and don't add to making decisions
• "Profit increased drastically last quarter" -> " Profit increased by 40% as compared to Q3"
4. Use subject-verb-object sentences
When in doubt, keep things simple:
• Subject: Who or what you're writing about
• Verb: What they did or will do
• Object: Who or what is acted upon