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Lard factor

As explained in Writing for Developers: Blogs that get read

The lard factor is the proportion of a draft’s original words removed during revision.

The lard factor measures revision success by showing what proportion of a draft’s original words you removed. Calculate it by subtracting the revised word count from the original, then dividing by the original count. section 5.3.2

A 57% lard factor

A sentence reduced from 23 words to 10 removes 13 words: 13 ÷ 23 = 0.5652, or 57%. The goal is not maximum cutting; keep words that preserve clarity, useful links, or a friendly voice. section 5.3.2

How Writing for Developers: Blogs that get read covers it

How deep it goes
Defines the formula, works one calculation, and cautions against cutting words merely for brevity.
Examples
Uses a 23-to-10 sentence reduction and before-and-after sentences about Zig and an encryption implementation.
What it assumes
Assumes an original draft and revised word counts, while defining the calculation from zero.
What you can do after
Evaluate revision with the Paramedic Method by calculating removed-word proportions and checking whether each remaining word earns its place.
How it connects
Connects the metric to the Paramedic Method, sentence clarity, and revision.
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Related concepts

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Writing for Developers: Blogs that get read. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.