The Art of Ethos: How to Gain Credibility With Your Non-Fiction

A reader’s trust is vital, and I’ll show you the way to get it.

A lot of “how-to” articles tell you to “write from the heart.” I wholeheartedly agree…sometimes.

It is an indisputable fact that writers who write non-fiction articles, argumentative or persuasive style essays, proposals, speeches, and the like need more than a well-turned emotional word or an evocative phrase. They need ethos. And I’ll tell you how to get it to make your writing stand out.

What is ethos?

Ethos is one of the three main modes of persuasion first outlined by Aristotle. These three modes, which he labeled ethos, logos, and pathos, involve the main ways a writer can sway his audience to adopt his point of view; however, Aristotle proclaimed that even though all three are extremely integral to persuasion, ethos was the most important technique.

Ethos is the Greek word for “character” and involves creating credibility as a writer or speaker. It underlies the principle that more important than the information being presented is the person who presents said information. In order for a reader to believe what a writer says, the reader must trust the writer.

Depending on the subject matter and the situation, different types of trust must be earned by the author. One such trust may be moral integrity. Another is intellectual or academic scholarship. A third may be trust borne of experience. Creation of exceptionally strong ethos will usually involve a combination of these aspects.

As a teacher of English, my students study rhetoric, which is the craft of persuasion. To help them create ethos, I provide the acronym “Square.” Square stands for all the ways writers can develop ethos in their writing and thus become a trusted authority on their specific subject when writing or speaking.

Statistics:

“Data” is the recent “hot word” in education. People love numbers because numbers don’t lie. Now we all know that in some cases numbers can be manipulated, but the fact remains that percentages, research-based empirical studies [collected and evaluating data from observation or field experience], and the like hold far more “truth” than a writer’s singular stated opinion.

To get the most out of statistics used, it is important to consider the sources you cite. Focus on the two “r’s of data collecting and statistical reporting: recent and reliable. Generally, sources that come from a dot gov, dot org or dot edu can be considered fairly trustworthy. Also, any publication that is widely known, well-respected, and has a large following can be a good resource to use.

When you use statistics, you build ethos in two ways. One, the audience transfers the trust they have in science or in said publication to you. Two, the audience unconsciously assumes that you are an intelligent, knowledgeable person to be able to have researched and located these numbers.

Quotations:

Using quotations builds ethos because you begin to establish certain credibility in your readership through the inference that you are intelligent and widely read. This is especially true when you use quotes from noted and scholarly people that are directly related to the topic on which you are writing or speaking.

For example, if you are writing a business article, a well-connected quotation from Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, J.P. Morgan, or Bill Gates might convince the reader that your ideas are worth accepting. If your writing deals with the importance of social relationships or influencing people to gain leadership or a “following,” you might cite Dale Carnegie [famous author of How to Win Friends and Influence People], or Daniel Goleman [author of Emotional Intelligence].

Big names bring big followings and, once again, the trust and prestige of said person whom you are quoting are transferred to you.

Anecdotes

Anecdotes are short stories or real-life narratives about a particular incident or person. Anecdotes provide ethos because, if they are used in correlation to the topic on which you are writing, they provide real-life evidence to prove your point.

If, for example, you are writing on a particular parenting style and how it should be embraced or discarded, a parent’s real-life account would be valuable evidence that your theories are correct.

Let’s say your topic is based on the advantages of starting a Keto-based diet or creating a daily habit of exercise. True accounts from people who have been rewarded by adopting these habits or who have managed to take small, manageable steps that lead them to successfully implement these life-changes will create ethos.

How?

For one, they act as evidence that your idea has merit, that it has had a profound effect on the happiness or well-being of regular everyday people. Second, they act as proof that not only has your hypothesis been proven, but that it can be implemented in a way that is relatively easy to embrace. This second idea brings us to the next step in creating ethos: rationality and logic.

Rationality and Logic

American orator Robert Green Ingersoll said it best when he stated that “it is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense.”

The same goes for a writer or speaker.

A writer can, for instance, feed me all the wonderful reasons I should do something, embrace a new technique or way of life, use a certain program or buy a certain item, but if doing, using, or buying said item does not rationally fit into my busy lifestyle or main concerns, then his or her words mean nothing.

For example, what about the car salesman that tries to sell you a fifty-thousand dollar car with five-hundred-dollar monthly car payments when you tell him you want your monthly payments to be three-hundred dollars or less? Oh, he may tell all its wonderful features are worth it or even haughtily suggest that you can cut expenses in other areas, but the bottom line is the purchase is illogical. You know it, and so does he. As a result, he loses your respect and his ethos.

Common sense arguments create ethos because they address the world the way it is, not the way one might want it to be. This shows the reader that not only are you knowledgeable about your topic but that you understand the reality of the topic as it stands in everyday life. This makes you trustworthy.

One way to create ethos through rationality is to address the counter-argument of your topic. The counter-argument is the other side of the issue. Why should you address the other side? Because logically, there is always another side, and people appreciate and respect you for admitting that undeniable truth.

Tell them what the other side says, and then use logic and common sense to persuade them that your belief is better or stronger. Highlight their key arguments, and then refute them with the above-mentioned tactics. Your ethos will strengthen because you have presented both sides of the issue, making you seem not only insightful and knowledgeable but also fair, candid, and discerning.

Expert Opinions:

This tactic coincides with the technique of quotations, anecdotes, and logical argumentation. How? Because experts are called “experts” for a reason. They increase your ethos because they have done the footwork for you. Experts have time, knowledge, and experience on their side. Thus, their support of your ideas automatically gains you credibility. You can provide these experts’ opinions in the form of interviews, quotes, or personal anecdotes by said experts.

Also, don’t forget to expound on your expertise in the matter at hand. For example, in order to get published in Better Humans, they require specifically that you explain to the reader how you are an expert in the topic on which you are writing. This publication and many others know that in order to get readers to accept a writer’s ideas, a writer not only has to be an expert in that field but he must make that fact clear to the reader. Let your readers know the training, education, and personal or professional experience you have with the topic of your writing in order to gain and keep their trust and attention.

If a writer adds these elements to his or her informational non-fiction pieces or speeches, his audience will more likely accept his ideas. Come to think of it, a personal essay writer can also use these methods effectively as he or she transitions from his or her personal story to a final“take-away” for the reader.

The wonderful thing is that if a writer creates this ethos in one piece of writing, the reader will automatically place more trust in him when he publishes future pieces as well. We all know the importance of reputation, and many times this one factor could be the thing that makes or breaks a writer. It can help him get a foot in the editor’s door while many others are closed out.

Happy writing!