A local magazine’s article about a coworking space included a number of amusing typos, but my favorite had to be when the author described the floorplan, noting “… comfortable booths and couches and desks with partisans to offer privacy.” Neither the writer nor the editor caught that one. Obviously, the author meant “partitions,” as in … Read more
People often put things in quotation marks to call attention to them or make them seem to be more prominent or important. But those quote marks actually have the opposite effect. When you surround a word with quote marks, it implies that you’re really not telling the truth. If your ads say a bracelet has … Read more
As texting becomes more prevalent, the art of letter writing appears to be disappearing. Fortunately, some people still have opportunities to send letters, even if they do so via email. When I was teaching a class about writing better business letters, one participant wondered about the best way to end her missives. Is “sincerely” the … Read more
Honored to be the guest on the current edition of Roundpeg’s “More Than a Few Words” podcast, talking with host Lorraine Ball about the importance of conversational copy. It’s about a 10-minute interview. https://roundpeg.biz/2019/04/content-begins-with-a-conversation/
Frequently, copy contains words that don’t really need to be there. A great example is “appropriate,” as in sentences such as “once we review the information, we’ll take appropriate action.” That’s because saying “once we review the information, we’ll take action” is every bit as meaningful and effective. Since it says the exact same thing … Read more
Singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain had a profound and positive impact on rock music, but I blame his band’s second album for perpetuating a spelling error that is becoming increasingly common. That album was 1991’s “Nevermind,” a title Cobain chose in part because he knew it was incorrect. How so? “Nevermind” isn’t a word. The expression is … Read more
Are you unique? That’s good. Are you very unique? Probably not. No, I’m not suggesting that individuality is a bad thing. In fact, it’s a very good thing. And the word “unique” should be a very good word. Unfortunately, it’s misused so often that it is losing its uniqueness. In simple terms, “unique” means “singular” … Read more
A local food retailer undergoing a major renovation apparently intended to plead for patience on a social media site, but wound up asking for participation in a nudist event. The retailer’s post asked customers to “please bare with us,” which is actually asking them to disrobe. Clearly (I hope), the store wanted customers to “bear” … Read more
One of my most successful projects began when I received an assignment to rescue a doomed newsletter for companies providing towing services to a motor club’s members. The newsletter wasn’t being read and the motor club didn’t understand why. It was full of valuable and important information, but nobody seemed to be paying attention, and … Read more
What’s the objective for your new website? “We want it to have a cool design that will attract visitors.” If I had a dollar for every time I heard that, I probably wouldn’t have to write as many websites to pay my mortgage. And each time I hear it, I have to take a deep … Read more