Nine headlines that are too good to ignore (and why)

Mastery Den, Tuesday Edition, drinking too much black coffee, Sofia, 4-min read.

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Today’s post is a guest post by Northern Ireland-based David McIlroy. David helps writers make a living from their words. He is quickly making a name for himself as a fast-growing Substack voice with over 10,000 subscribers here.

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Headlines.

They're the most powerful tools at a writer's disposal. Disregard them at your peril.

You'll have heard this many times before, but I'll say it again anyway:

You can write the very best article in the history of time and space, but if your headline sucks, no one will read it.

Or at least, it won't draw enough readers to merit the time and effort that went into its creation. And honestly, that's a genuine shame.

But too many writers do disregard the importance of their headlines, and it does put their writing in peril.

The simple solution here? Write good headlines for your articles.

And what does a good headline look like, exactly? Let me show you.

Winning headlines

Substack is a veritable goldmine of great content.

It's also an ever-changing, ever-expanding trophy cabinet packed with headline winners.

Here are a few I picked out of the high-quality crowd just this week.

1. Five Best Hidden Substack Tips You Should Not Miss

Let's start with this one. It contains a few elements that I believe make an instantly great headline.

First, it begins with a number. Numbers are excellent scroll-stoppers. Straight away, readers know what to expect from the article itself, and roughly how long it might take them to ingest it.

Next, it employs mildly hyperbolic words like "best" and "hidden" to build intrigue. "5 Substack Tips" wouldn't pack quite the same punch.

Finally, it ends with a generous helping of FOMO: "You Should Not Miss" this article, otherwise… well, who knows, but you better click through just in case.

2. If you want to stand out, keep yourself small

Headlines like this are great because they subvert expectations.

In a world screaming at us to be bigger, bolder and louder in order to stand out, this writer's advice sticks out like a sore thumb.

Like the previous headline, it instantly builds intrigue. And the tone's also a little comforting, especially for introverts. Staying small feels good.

3. I have concepts of what I took away from the debate…

Another great way to make your headlines stand out is to go topical.

Take a buzzword or phrase from a recent news story and incorporate it into your title. Anyone who's read that wording already will instantly make the connection in their head (in this case, to the presidential debate), easing them into the rest of your piece.

Obviously this won't work quite as well if you're aiming to write evergreen content, but it's a nice tactic when used sparingly.

4. How The Heck Do I Make Friends as an Adult?

Ask a simple question and cut your reader right to their core.

How do we make friends as adults? Why's it so easy as a kid and so damn difficult when you become a not-kid?

Your reader wants those answers. And now you have them.

Well, you better. Otherwise, it's just click-bait.

5. What Happens When You're a Writer, but You Don't Write

This one's similar, and it employs another subtle syntactical technique: repetition.

What happens when you don't (or can't) do the thing you're supposed to do? How does that impact your identity?

Better click into that article to find out.

6. Write Hypnotic Stories Using A Packet of Biscuits

This is a lot like the first example in this list.

Hyperbolic phrasing ("hypnotic stories")? Check.

Weird imagery that builds intrigue ("packet of biscuits")? Check.

I know I clicked into that one without a second thought, anyway.

7. Ten things I learnt about you

If you've seen the movie, this one will stop you dead in your scrolling tracks.

Obviously, the writer also used a shot from the film 10 Things I Hate About You as their feature image, which adds to its potency.

But even without that, the callback here will stop anyone who recognises the deliberate phrasing. They won't be able to resist reading the article itself.

Simple, clever, effective.

8. My Book Got Cancelled by My Publisher and There's Nothing I Can Do About It

The most successful writers incorporate story into everything they produce. This headline is practically a full story in itself.

It's also a delicious game of two halves.

"My book got cancelled by my publisher" would've been good enough on its own. It's dripping with intrigue.

But the second half, "and there's nothing I can do about it", is the real gut punch. You're intrigued halfway through, and by the end, you're emotionally invested as well.

9. You don't need to face all your fears

We'll finish with one that's short and sweet.

This one almost feels like an incomplete thought. You're waiting for the "but…" at the end, but it just isn't there. I found myself almost adding it involuntarily when I read the line.

As with most things in life, quantity doesn't necessarily beget quality. A short headline like this can be just as powerful as a longer one. It all comes down to your phrasing, and how it'll nudge the reader towards at least considering clicking through to the actual meat and potatoes of your written work.

Good headlines boost your chances as a writer

Don't sleep on your headlines.

Take the time to craft something engaging and clever. Make readers stop scrolling. Force them to make a decision about your writing.

Give your words the best possible chance of finding readers.

They deserve to be read.

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If you enjoyed this, go follow David’s Substack on how to make a living as a writer here.

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