I miss the days when newspapers and other media wouldn’t publish a story until it had been edited and edited again. Sadly, expediency has supplanted accuracy, and shrinking budgets have eliminated the copy editors who dispatched typos and other errors from their writers’ dispatches. These days, the only thing protecting writers from themselves is their … Read more
At a time when new technologies seem to appear every day, most folks are becoming overwhelmed. While they’re impressed by all the new features and opportunities, and while many can see at least some of how these new advances will benefit them, the sheer volume of information is pushing a growing number of people into … Read more
I’ve done work for companies that have their own lexicons — even style guides spelling out exactly how things should be worded. For example, I used to do a lot of work for some divisions of Amoco Oil (since absorbed by BP). Among the no-nos in their style guide was that you couldn’t refer … Read more
One of the lessons I learned during my ad agency days was the value of a good “swipe” file. A swipe file is simply a file (or box) where you throw ads, articles, brochures – anything you like or think is particularly effective. When you were given a tough assignment, you’d sift through the swipe … Read more
I was at a conference with a group of freelance writers when the subject of websites came up. One of the writers asked if there was any way to develop a website for next to nothing, and she was nearly overwhelmed with suggestions. My fellow attendees mentioned a host of templates, free sites, and other … Read more
Wonder how well your next ad, website, or brochure will communicate with your readers? Here’s a simple test that’s remarkably powerful. Count the number of times that your company’s name appears in the text. Then count the number of times words “we,” “us,” and “our” appear in there, and add it to your first number. … Read more
No, I’m not advocating violence against punctuation. And I’ll admit that the ampersand (that little “&” mark) can be handy now and then. But it’s one of the most-misused tools in the punctuation toolbox. The ampersand serves as a graphic replacement for the word “and.” When used in graphic design, it can even be a … Read more
People like to stick foreign-language phrases and expressions into copy because they think it makes them appear to be intelligent and sophisticated, n’est-ce pas? And it can, except when they either don’t understand the phrase or are unable to spell it correctly. At least once a month, I see someone who has tried to use … Read more
Rarely have I encountered clients who become furious over word choices, but it does happen. I was working on an ad for a company in human resources, and used the phrase “to complement your staff.” Upon reviewing it, the client changed the largest word in that sentence to “compliment.” I changed it back, and the … Read more
Way back when I started my business (in the days when the Internet was powered by squirrels in exercise wheels and nearly all websites were blue), I spent a lot of time in online forums and other sites that catered to the small-business crowd. Like the rest of the denizens, I was looking for sound … Read more