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- 8 company agents: Lyra (intake), Selene (CEO), Atlas (research), Nova (publishing ops), Iris (author), Devon (dev editor), Lane (line editor), Cora (continuity editor) - 19 additional templates (20 total): blog, recipe, short_story, book pipeline, ai_article, planning, boardroom, quick, project_index - 5 skill guides: YA, Romance, SciFi, Blog, Recipe writing - Rewritten charter and business plan Co-authored-by: Copilot <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
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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.
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
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
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..."
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.
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
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