James Drogan

Mark Twain is said to have closed a letter to a friend by saying, “I’m sorry this is such a long letter. I didn't’t have time to write a shorter one.”

My sense is that your voice, while appearing clear and comprehensive to you, may not be seen the same way by the readers you would like to attract. For example, finding my way through your material and that of others is a bit of a chore.  A lot of stuff. On the other hand, maybe my capacity for reading with comprehension or, for that matter, my interest is beginning to falter.

I’ve often heard that a job seeker has the first third of the first page of his letter of introduction to attract the attention of the reader. If s/he doesn't, the letter is consigned to the trash. Studies show that people rarely go more than three pages deep in an Internet search. All of us have our elevator speeches loaded and ready to go. None of this represents, I hope, shallowness on our part, but rather an appreciation of the value of time to those to whom we would speak.

Perhaps you are asking your readers to “eat an elephant” every time they encounter you. Perhaps they would rather have a bon bon. You need to figure that out.

This brings me to the principles of communication with which I belabor my students.

1. The grammar and syntax of the messages being exchanged are understood.
   
2. The information communicated in the messages is relevant.
   
3. The medium of communication is acceptable.
   
4. There is a desire to communicate.
   
5. There is confirmation of understanding.
   

Anyway, maybe it’s not you who have not found your voice, but your interlocutors who have not found your voice. Maybe you should think about trying a different voice.