• This page discusses the use of “money quotes” or highlighted excerpts to emphasize important points in written works
• Money quotes are short, 1-2 sentence excerpts that encapsulate the key message or insight
• They are formatted prominently through bolding, larger font, or text boxes to stand out visually
• Including well-chosen money quotes helps ensure readers understand the main point even if they don’t read everything
• Publications sometimes give money quotes descriptive titles related to the type of insight they contain
• Authors should consider including 2-4 money quotes to capture the essence or “moral of the story” and help drive home themes

Many stories, articles, and other written works aim to convey one or more central ideas or lessons to the reader. However, with pages of text it can be easy for the forest to be missed for the trees. “Money quotes,” also sometimes called “receipts” or “text call-outs,” are excerpted snippets of text that are highlighted and pulled out of the main body to focus the reader’s attention on the most important points. These choice quotes, when used effectively, can help reinforce the overarching theme or takeaway that the author wants readers to walk away with.

A “money quote” is a short excerpt, usually just one or two sentences, that encapsulates the key message or insight that the writer wants to impart. These impactful quotes are given prominence by being called out separately from the main text, using formatting like bolding, larger font size, or being placed in a text box. This helps them stand out visually on the page and draws the eye to truly significant statements or revelations. Like money, these choice quotes are valuable – they distill complex topics down to their purest form and make the author’s central thesis crystal clear.
 

 

Including well-chosen money quotes is a technique writers use to ensure readers get the main point even if they do not have time or inclination to read every word. Busy readers may appreciate having the focal point highlighted for them upfront. And including multiple money quotes throughout a long-form piece of writing helps maintain reader engagement by periodically reminding them of the overarching takeaway. The quotes act as signposts that keep readers oriented to the north star of what the author is really trying to communicate.

Some publications take the use of money quotes even further by giving them descriptive titles that categorize the type of insight contained within. For example, an article on financial planning may include call-outs labeled as “Receipt #1: The power of starting early” and “Receipt #2: Why diversification is key.” These labeled receipts allow readers to quickly scan and find the excerpt most relevant to their interests or questions. It also gives the author a chance for subtle humor or creativity in how they describe the quotes.

Whether called money quotes, receipts, or text call-outs, excerpting and highlighting the most poignant snippets of a piece of writing is an effective technique for any author to use. Including two to four choice quotes that truly capture the essence or “moral of the story” helps ensure readers understand the takeaway and retain the lessons. The next time you write an article, paper, or other long-form content, consider pulling out some money quotes to accentuate your most important points and drive home the themes. Your readers will appreciate you making the main point more clear.

If you’re discussing actual financial issues, we’ve already collected money quotes for you to insert and use in provided money topic pages. Simply click on the “Share > Quote Image” area on the page and copy the provided code from the text area that opens and paste the code into your web pages in order to display the quote images on your page.