How to get attention where it’s non-existent and with zero hope of getting it.

Crazy title, but what a promise!

Look at the exclamation mark in the sentence above. Did it work, or was it pointless?

Every exclamation mark I make is deliberate (not random).

When I’m reading, I know when I’m surprised by something, and when I am, an exclamation mark urges me on (as a reader). It represents a pat on the back (the writer is giving me approval, and approval is always nice – it releases a tiny hit of dopamine).

If you found the title to this post interesting, then the exclamation mark worked, if not, it failed. Either way, you’d hardly notice it, and that’s what we want.

It’s a tiny nudge to the right audience to keep on reading.

Most writers use exclamation marks when THEY are surprised. Pro writers use them when they anticipate their AUDIENCE being surprised.

PS. More on the actual promise in the headline next week.