Revising an Essay for the Web

Advanced Composition, O'Donnell, ETSU, Summer 2012

Last update: May 23, 2012

I. The Assignment

Revise one of your first three essays for the web. Worth 15% of the final grade.

You will submit the revision as a data file by Thursday, July 5. I can accept just about any format, including, pdf, html, ms word, or others. Email the file to me as an attachment by class time: odonnell@etsu.edu.

I will ask students who earn As to voluntarily allow me to post their work. However, I will absolutely not post your work on the web, unless I have your clear, uncoerced, written permission.

II. Choosing Which Essay to Revise

Consider which of your three essays would most likely find a real audience if it were posted on the web. That's not necessarily the "best writing." Sometimes narrow or specialized topics are more likely to find real audiences on the world wide web. You will consult with me, when choosing which essay to revise.

III. Considerations, in Writing for the Web

A. Search Terms/ Searchability

Include key search terms in the title field. These will include specific people, places, times.

Question for discussion: What is SEO?

B. Consider Your Audience: International Strangers

A reader from absolutely anywhere can find your writing if it's posted on the internet. What would a stranger from, say, South Africa, need to know about your writing, if they encountered it on the web? Implications:

1. Clear, self-explanatory title.

2. Clear, complete, specific author's note.

3. An email address, where readers can contact you.

C. Readability / Skimmability

Reading a text off of a screen is different than reading a hard copy. Consider adapting the following elements:

1. Summary blurb.

2. Table of contents.

3. Section headings.

4. Links to other web sites.

D. Electronic formatting

What are advantages/ disadvantages of html, pdf?

What is an html editor?