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The Art of the Listicle: Craft a Perfect 'Top 10'

Editors and writers detail the commandments of creating a must-read list article

By Kristen Fischer – August 30, 2010
Everyone loves a good Top 10 list. We see them in magazines, scroll through them on blogs, and usually chuckle when David Letterman shares them on TV.

Listicles -- articles with numbered subsections and content that collectively offers resources and tips for readers under the umbrella of one topic -- provide a punchy way to assemble information in an easy-to-read article format. We asked writers and editors what makes a listicle work, and why audiences can't get enough of them....

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