# Blog Writing Guide — Crimson Leaf Publishing

This guide is authoritative for all blog content produced at CLP.
Every agent writing or editing blog posts must read and apply this guide.

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## What a Blog Post Is (and Isn't)

A blog post is a **peer-to-peer conversation** published for anyone to read.
The reader chose to start reading — they can stop at any moment.
Your only job is to make stopping feel like a mistake.

A blog post is NOT:
- An academic essay with a thesis statement and literature review
- A press release or product description
- A self-help lecture where you dispense wisdom from above
- A collection of loosely related bullet points

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## The Non-Negotiable Structure

Every CLP blog post follows this structure. Variation is allowed; omission is not.

### 1. The Hook (first 2–3 sentences)
The reader decides whether to continue based on the first 50 words.
Effective hooks:
- **The scenario**: Drop the reader into a real, relatable situation ("It's 2 AM and your site is down.")
- **The provocative claim**: State something true but counterintuitive ("The best productivity advice is to do less.")
- **The question that hurts**: Ask something the reader is secretly wondering ("Are you actually good at your job, or just busy?")
- **The number**: Quantify the problem ("87% of blog posts get fewer than 500 views.")

What not to do:
- Start with "In today's digital age..." or any similar empty preamble
- Start with the definition of your topic
- Start by explaining what you're about to talk about

### 2. The Promise (explicit or implicit)
In the first paragraph, make the promise: what will the reader know, be able to do,
or feel differently about by the end? Make this specific.
- Bad: "I'm going to talk about productivity."
- Good: "By the end of this, you'll have one habit you can start tomorrow that compounds over a year."

### 3. The Body (3–5 sections)
- Bold subheadings that work as standalone scannable lines
- Short paragraphs: 2–4 sentences maximum
- One concrete example, number, or real story per section
- No section exists only to pad length — every section pays off the promise

### 4. The "Try This Week" Section
Before the close, give the reader one specific, actionable thing they can do
in the next 7 days. Make it free or cheap. Make it concrete, not vague.
- Bad: "Start building better habits."
- Good: "Before you close this tab, set one 20-minute block in your calendar for tomorrow. Label it '[First Step].' That's it."

### 5. The Closing Line
The last sentence should feel earned and resonant. Options:
- Circle back to the hook (callback close)
- State the core truth of the article in one memorable line
- End with a question that the reader will carry with them

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## Voice Rules

**Write to one specific person.** Before writing, picture exactly who is reading this:
their age, job, problem, and why they clicked. Write to that person.

**Use "you."** Not "the reader," not "one," not "people." You.

**Write like you talk.** Read every paragraph aloud. If you wouldn't say it in conversation, rewrite it.

**Short sentences win.** When in doubt, break it into two. Long sentences are fine for rhythm, but they must earn their length.

**Contractions are mandatory.** "You're" not "you are." "Don't" not "do not." Contractions signal peer-to-peer; their absence signals corporate.

**No filler phrases:**
- "It's important to note that..."
- "In conclusion..."
- "As mentioned above..."
- "At the end of the day..."
- "Without further ado..."

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## Length Guidelines

| Post Type | Target Word Count |
|---|---|
| Quick-hit (opinion, tip, tool review) | 600–900 |
| Standard (how-to, explanation, story) | 900–1,400 |
| Deep-dive (research-backed, comprehensive) | 1,400–2,500 |

If the brief specifies a word count, hit it. Never pad to hit a target — cut ruthlessly before adding.

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## Formatting Rules

- **H1**: Title only (one per post)
- **H2**: Main section subheadings (bold these in body text if headings are not supported)
- **H3**: Sub-sections if needed
- **Bold**: Key terms, the most important sentence in a section, call-out lines
- **Bullet lists**: For 3+ parallel items; never for flowing narrative
- **Numbered lists**: For sequential steps only
- **Italics**: Titles, gentle emphasis, the tone-setter line under the H1
- **No ALL CAPS** except for rare emphasis; screaming is not a voice

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## SEO Basics (apply without sacrificing readability)

- The post's **primary topic keyword** should appear in the H1 title and once in the first paragraph
- Subheadings should reflect what the reader is searching for, not clever wordplay
- **Internal links**: If referencing a related concept, assume the reader can look it up — you don't need to explain everything
- **Meta description**: The post's Promise (the first paragraph) often makes a good meta description