How to Be A Short Answer
I don’t know if this is actually a tip or not.
I’m still not really sold on the whole short answer format.
Yes, they are quick and easy to do. And you don’t have to do an introduction, which really helps.
But the amount of pointing and clicking is about the same for other articles.
You still have to provide some references to back up your work, so there’s still some research you have to do.
Also, you have to factor in the amount of time it takes to find a good one. That kind of stuff really adds up.
Sorry the tips section is starting to drop off in quality, but after starting the site, I quickly realized that I can’t give out all my tips because, obviously, everyone reading would quickly snap up all my articles.
Not that I blame you.
Anyway, just wanted to throw that out there.
Also, got some new categories up in the forum. Everyone is posting, so it looks like things are up and going over there.
Just don’t start turning into DSS Forum Zombies.
yeah – once you get into them, they’re pretty decent.
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Hmm…thanks for the info…maybe I will try my hands on a few Short Answers. Intros slow me down, so maybe I should give ‘em a whirl.
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Pick a how-to and then snag a couple short answers or tips on the same subject matter. Use the same reference to answer all of them.
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I’ve had good luck with short answers, too. I recently did a bunch on how to use various word processing features and I think only one came back for rewrite because the CE insisted on every sentence beginning with an action, where I had written something like, “In the Name field, type your name.”
So I flipped everything around, trusting readers would remember what to do while they searched the screen for where to do it. It’s bad technical writing.
Haven’t touched a How To in a year. A lot of writers say they’re easy, but I find them terrible. Lists of what you need, difficulty rating, steps, inability to illustrate with good photos most of the time. The few I did in the beginning were very stressful, so I gave them up.
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Actually, I have found that I do less research on short answers. Maybe it’s because I pick the ones that I know about (ie: Most of the stuff for microsoft products can be found at Microsoft Support or Microsoft Office.)
I can pound out a bunch of short answers in half the time it takes me to do a how to because I don’t have to come up with an intro and I’m restricted to 3 sections. Not only that but you really don’t have to do as much detail, because you can’t. You only have so many words and so much space.
If I find that a short answer isn’t short at all, I just let it go.
And if I get a rewrite or reject, it’s only $5.
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Oh and about the Short Answer format–NO THANK YOU! IMO, it’s the same amount of research and detail for only $5. I do like the “no intro” thing though. I hate writing the intros.
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Me too!
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Damn. I want tips.
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