Summary

The article provides guidance on enhancing readability on Medium by using simple language, short paragraphs, and adhering to Flesch-Kincaid readability standards.

Abstract

The Medium platform offers various tools to enhance writing, but readability remains a cornerstone for successful content. The article emphasizes the importance of simplicity in writing, suggesting that even profound ideas should be conveyed in an accessible manner. It outlines the ideal Medium post as one with a captivating image, a readability score above 70, short paragraphs, and simple language. The Flesch-Kincaid readability test is highlighted as a valuable tool for assessing text simplicity, with a score of 80 or above recommended for general audiences. The article also examines the writing styles of successful Medium writers like Thomas Oppong and Nicolas Cole, noting their adherence to readability principles. However, it acknowledges that emotionally driven stories in Medium-owned publications may deviate from these standards, prioritizing depth and personal connection over strict formatting.

Opinions

The author believes that readability is crucial for online content and that simplicity in writing does not equate to superficiality.
Successful Medium writers, such as Thomas Oppong and Nicolas Cole, are recognized for their effective use of formatting and simple language to engage a broad audience.
The Flesch-Kincaid readability test is endorsed as a reliable method for ensuring content is understandable to a wide range of readers.
There is an acknowledgment that not all content on Medium adheres to these readability principles, particularly in-house publications that prioritize emotional depth and personal storytelling.
The article suggests that while readability standards are important, they may not apply universally, especially for content that aims to evoke strong emotions or convey complex ideas.
The author implies that adhering to readability guidelines can improve the chances of a Medium post being enjoyed and understood by readers, but it is not a guarantee of viral success.

Medium Tips

How to Improve Your Readability on Medium

Analyzing famous Medium writers, in-house publications, and readability pioneers

Simple success factors can help others enjoy your story.

Medium gives us everything to make our writing stand out. The background, formatting tools, and styles are breathtaking. Flawless design is Medium’s most powerful asset besides good authors. But you can do something for your audience beyond using Medium tools.

You might have a world-changing idea, but it won’t matter if it’s not understandable. Readability is the cornerstone of internet writing. The online content should be simple, but not superficial or necessarily short.

In-house Medium publications and soul-stirring writers might have a different opinion. Sometimes the content rules over everything else.

The Basics

Everyone can write complicated prose, but only a genius can make it simple. The best kinds of ideas are simple to understand.

The ideal Medium post should have:

A captivating image
A readability score higher than 70
Short paragraphs with no more than four lines
A maximum of 25 words in long sentences
Simple language

These guidelines won’t necessarily make your post go viral. But you’ll get a clear picture of what is understandable and enjoyable to others.

Internet Readers

Reading through the monitor is not the same as reading on paper. The computer screen is harsh on the eyes — reading becomes harder and way less enjoyable. Your aim is to mitigate the technological shortcomings by formatting your text right.

Your readers are not fools, but they won’t appreciate the excruciating wall of text. You can start understanding what works by using a readability test. Flesch-Kincaid is the most famous way to check for simplicity.

Flesch-Kincaid

Rudolf Flesch developed a way to test the simplicity of text. He was born in Austria and fled to the United States during the Nazi invasion. Flesch graduated in law from Columbia University with a Ph.D. in library science. Eventually, he developed a readability test, together with J. Peter Kincaid, under contract from the U.S. Navy.

Flesch was an advocate of writing in plain language. He authored several books, including “The Art of Plain Talk” and “How to Write Plain English.” Why do you already know about Flesch? Microsoft Word and many other writing tools, like Grammarly, use his readability test.

His formula is based on the way the human mind connects ideas. The eyes focus on successive points, allowing the mind to digest the text. The mind reevaluates the narrative using breaks such as marks and punctuation.

The longer the sentence and paragraph, the longer the mind needs to make sense of your writing. Longer sentences need more mental work. The reader will have a harder time understanding a longer format. Your reader is reading through a bright monitor, which adds another layer of difficulty.

The Flesch-Kincaid test has a score of 0–100. A higher number means the text is easier to understand.

Score: 90–100 means the text is understood by an average 11-year-old.
Score: 60–70 means that students around the age of 14 should easily understand your text.
Score: 0–40 means your text is a scientific work or is for college students.

If you’re using Grammarly, readability is explained in the performance report.

Flesch recommends an average score of at least 80 for the general audience. Paragraphs shouldn’t be longer than four lines, with 15-word sentences, and 1.5 syllables per word. Subheads and lists also help make sense of the text.

The 80 can be hard to reach with certain topics. Scoring anything above 70 should work just as well. If your Medium story gets a score below 60, consider breaking the paragraphs and sentences in fewer words. Don’t be afraid to make two sentences out of one.

Famous Medium Writers

Thomas Oppong is arguably one of the most successful Medium writers with north of 170k followers. He writes in the categories of self-help and productivity.

If you look closer, his work is formatted in the Flesch-Kincaid way. Each post is broken down in paragraphs no longer than four lines. The language is enticing and simple. Thomas Oppong hasn’t invented the wheel here, but he certainly made the best out of Medium.

His ideas are not new or revolutionary; they’re written and formated for a general audience. The genius is in the formatting.

Nicolas Cole is another prolific and successful Medium writer. His format is a bit different. He’s using almost every tool in Medium’s shed. Cole’s stories have a lot of lists, subheads, and bolded text.

Niklas Göke is no exception, either. His is probably one of the most inspiring personal stories for young writers on Medium. If you take a closer look at his posts, you’ll notice the same pattern.

“I’ve seen thousands of pieces that could have had twice the impact they did if only the author had spent five extra minutes formatting a few different parts of their article.” — Niklas Göke

Tim Denning, with 82k followers, follows a similar pattern, and Shaunta Grimes does this well, too.

Medium-Owned Publication and Emotional Stories

Editors of Medium-owned publications might not agree with Rudolf Flesch. If you hop to Forge or Elemental, you’ll notice that stories don’t follow easy formatting or simple language.

Human Parts features stories about the human condition. The stories are often personal and emotional. I dare you to find a story with simple language and clear formatting on their page. This is not to say that any of these stories couldn’t be the best thing you ever read, because it easily might be the most touching stuff on the internet.

Some of the best stories I’ve ever read on Medium had lengthy paragraphs, compounded language, and serious messages. A recent post on Forge accumulated more than 160k claps in a few days. The author would give Rudolf Flesch a run for his money, and a possible seizure. But Julio Vincent Gambuto wrote one of the best posts I’ve read lately.

Shannon Ashley is another exception. Her stories are soul-stirring and personal. And they’re possibly among the best stuff you’ll find on the internet. Her posts are generally broken into paragraphs but without an obvious pattern.

Emotional stories don’t need a strict framework. But Flesch-Kincaid will help you format everything else. If you’re in doubt, follow the readability rules.

The Takeaway

Studying Medium writers, professional publications, and readability pioneers can help you format your next post.

If you’re not writing a heartbreaking story that will have your reader run for extra tissues, try formatting your text with the advice of Joseph Flesch.

High readability score:

Simple language
Ideas and key points broken down in subheadings
No more than four sentences in a paragraph

Nobody can tell you how to make it on Medium. The best you can do is read and write consistently. Every tip from another Medium writer is valuable on your journey. But nobody can give you a foolproof way to make it big.