How long is 750 words?

What 750 words is usually for

Seven hundred and fifty words is the traditional op-ed length, and newspapers settled on it through a century of trial and error rather than arithmetic. It is the longest a general reader will follow a single argument without a subheading to rest on.

The shape that works here is one contention, two supporting moves, and a turn at the end. Columns that try to cover three separate points at this length read as lists rather than arguments.

In practice this length covers a newspaper op-ed, a magazine column, a one-page single-spaced brief, or a conference abstract.

Shaping it

Five or six paragraphs. Give yourself one paragraph of genuine concession partway through: at this length, acknowledging the opposing case is what makes the rest credible.

When you are over

Statistics are the usual bloat. One well-chosen figure persuades; four in succession make a reader stop reading and start skimming.

Words to pages will show the figure for whichever font your publication specifies.

Nearest lengths: 500 words and 1,000 words. Other common targets: 250 words, 1,500 words, 2,000 words, or the full word count reference.

Common questions