Don't Do This To Your Readers!!

Years ago, a man hired me to coach him on his manuscript.

When it arrived in the mail, the monstrosity was the size of a ream of paper. We’re talking a good two inch thick, 8 ½ by 11 inch, single-spaced, New Times Roman 12 point font.

For two days, I meticulously read the script word-for-word.

Then I drove to meet him in his mountain home in the foothills nearby. We greeted each other and then walked into his office.

“What do you think?” he asked as he leaned back in his chair.

“If I didn’t know better,” I began, “I would assume this manuscript was written by an engineer who did a ton of research and included all of it in his book.”

“That’s exactly right,” he replied. “I am an engineer and this reflects all my research.”

And that was the problem.

The manuscript wasn’t weak. It wasn’t poorly written. It wasn’t unclear.

It was exhausting.

Paragraphs ran for one or two pages at a time. Profound insights were buried inside walls of text. Powerful sentences suffocated under explanation. It felt like trying to eat an entire steak in three bites.

Your readers’ brains, much like your stomach, were not designed for that.

The Real Issue Isn’t Grammar. It’s Psychology.

Writers often assume paragraph length is about rules. It’s not.

It’s about cognitive load.

Your reader is constantly making micro-decisions:

• Do I keep going?
• Do I understand this?
• Is this worth my time?

If your paragraphs are too long, you create three risks:

1. They lose interest.
2. They lose comprehension.
3. They lose hope of finishing your book.

And when any of those happen, they close the book, never to be read again.

We all agree: writing is about the reader. Especially if you’re publishing to build authority, leave a legacy, or expand your platform.

Your ideas deserve to be considered.

So how do you shape your page in a way that serves your reader instead of overwhelming them?

Let’s go!

Where Does Your Allegiance Lie?

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I keep coming back to this truth: Every author must be more committed to their audience than they are to their message or story.

READ. THAT. AGAIN.

You don't want to overload your manuscript with endless lines of text. Their brains simply can't handle it.

So today, we're going to keep it simple. Here are four principles that will help you know where to make your paragraph breaks so you don't wear down your readers.

1. Break When the Speaker Changes

This is the simplest rule—and the most violated.

Every new speaker deserves a new paragraph.

Not just because grammar textbooks say so, but because the reader’s brain needs visual cues.

Dialogue is white space. And white space is oxygen.

Even in nonfiction, if you quote someone, isolate it.

Your page should look readable before it’s ever read.

Ask yourself: If someone flipped to this page in a bookstore, would it feel inviting—or intimidating?

Remember, people skim before they commit.

And yes, they will skim your book.

That’s not disrespect. That’s human nature.

2. Break When the Idea Shifts

This is where writers struggle most.

You may think you’re elaborating. The reader may feel like you're wandering.

A paragraph should generally carry one dominant idea. When that idea shifts—even subtly—start fresh.

Here’s a simple test. Read your paragraph out loud.

Where do you naturally pause?

Where do you take a breath?

That breath is often where your paragraph break belongs.

Another powerful technique: try summarizing the paragraph in one sentence without using "and," or "but". If you can’t, you probably have more than one idea in there.

Especially in nonfiction, clarity builds authority. When your structure is clean, you appear thoughtful, disciplined, and confident.

Long, meandering paragraphs signal the opposite—even if the content is brilliant.

3. Break for Emphasis

This is where art enters the room.

A revelation deserves space.

A powerful sentence deserves isolation.

A moment of transformation deserves its own line.

See what I'm doing here?

Look at memoirs by writers like Matthew McConaughey in Greenlights. Notice how often key realizations stand alone.

That’s not accidental.

White space creates gravitas.

When you give a sentence its own paragraph, you’re telling the reader:

Pay attention.

This matters.

Too many writers bury their best insights inside dense blocks of text. Don’t hide your gold.

Display it!

4. Design for the Skimmer

“Mike, I don’t want people skimming my book. I want them to read it.”

I understand.

But here’s the truth: skimming is the gateway to reading.

When someone picks up your book—whether in a bookstore, at a conference, or on Amazon—they flip through it.

They look at:

• The table of contents
• Chapter titles
• Subheads
• Paragraph shape
• Sentence length

If your book looks dense, it feels like work.

If it looks spacious, it feels approachable.

This applies to all age groups. Our brains are constantly looking for relief. It’s human nature.

Shorter paragraphs don’t mean dumbing down your ideas.

They mean respecting your reader’s time.

I’ll leave you with this:

The engineer I mentioned earlier eventually pared down his manuscript to 40,000 words and broke the paragraphs into smaller chunks—with the help of another coach (I didn’t have time to work with him). The result? 

The book sold 30,000 copies and won multiple awards.

That’s what publishing is about: reader-centric writing.

If you’re wondering whether your manuscript is inviting—or overwhelming—don’t guess.

Let’s look at it together.

👉Schedule a free author strategy session with me by clicking below:

Let’s make sure your book reflects the clarity, authority, and purpose you intended.

Let’s create a book that reflects your thoughts, dreams, and perseverance.

When the authors came to us with the manuscript, they needed an illustrator. Geoff Stone, our Editorial Director, helped them storyboard their manuscript so they knew how many images were required.

Then, he helped them evaluate different illustrators until they found the right one. The finished product looks AMAZING! 

Congratulations, Jody and Esther!!

Let's bring your book to life!