How Long Are Paragraphs ft. A Ghostwriter's Review — Daily Persuasion with Joshua Lisec Ep. 166

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ABOUT TODAY'S EPISODE:

How long is too long for a paragraph—and can the way you break up your thoughts on the page make or break your message?

Welcome to Daily Persuasion with Joshua Lisec, Episode 166: How Long Are Paragraphs ft. A Ghostwriter’s Review.

In this episode, Joshua Lisec—New York Times bestselling author, certified hypnotist, and ghostwriter of 96 nonfiction books across business, politics, health, wellness, and beyond—tackles one deceptively simple question that trips up writers at every level: How long should a paragraph be?

The episode kicks off with a real message from a student of Lisec’s bestselling writing course and book, asking for his professional take on how to write paragraphs in a novel or any form of nonfiction. What follows is not just a ghostwriter review of conventional writing advice—topic sentences, supporting points, all that dry academic fluff—but a total reframing based on persuasion psychology and reader behavior.

Lisec explains that the true power of a paragraph lies not in how long it is, but in how it feels. The #1 goal? Keep the reader reading. If they’re not reading, they can’t be persuaded. That’s where real persuasion begins—not with rules, but with results. Whether you're working on a novel, a sales page, a Substack post, or even an X thread, the question of how long are paragraphs turns into a persuasion strategy.

By mixing paragraph lengths—short, punchy one-liners, followed by medium blocks, and occasionally long reflective segments—you keep the reader’s attention and trigger curiosity. This isn’t just style; it’s science. It's one of the most overlooked persuasive techniques in modern writing.

Lisec offers a ghostwriter’s review of the old-school way of formatting paragraphs, exposing how following rigid rules dulls your message. Instead, he shows persuasion examples from the thousands of pages he’s ghostwritten, all of which prove that techniques of persuasion in writing rely on visual rhythm as much as verbal clarity. When readers turn the page and see variety, their brains light up with interest.

But there’s more. Joshua Lisec ties paragraph variety directly to persuasion techniques that increase book sales. Why? Because the #1 driver of sales is word-of-mouth—and that only happens if people finish what they start. You can’t sell a product, service, or idea if your paragraphs scare people away.

This practical breakdown doesn’t just help writers, though. It also teaches how to persuade someone to do something—even if that something is simply continuing to read. If you’ve ever asked, “How long should paragraph be?” or “How long is a paragraph?” this episode gives you more than just an answer. It gives you a toolkit to become a more powerful communicator.

From examples of persuasion in advertising to long-form storytelling, Lisec connects the dots between formatting, flow, and influence. He makes it clear: when used correctly, paragraph structure becomes a silent salesman. Your reader never even realizes they’re being led toward your point—they just keep reading.

This is persuasion psychology at work, not grammar school busywork. And in this age of infinite content and shrinking attention spans, the right paragraph length isn't just a style choice—it’s a survival skill.

So, if you're wondering how to keep readers glued to the screen or the page, don’t miss Daily Persuasion Episode 166: How Long Are Paragraphs ft. A Ghostwriter’s Review with Joshua Lisec. Whether you’re a writer, marketer, or entrepreneur, this episode will transform the way you think about paragraphs—and the way they influence everything you do.