“It’s just going on social media, so the usual rules don’t apply, right?” Planning to post a big announcement about his company, he thought there was no need be concerned with grammar and the like. My answer? No, you don’t have to worry about those things … unless you hope to be taken seriously. As … Read more
I was surprised to see a favorite non-profit had committed an illegal act. On the third page of a recent newsletter, they reprinted an item from Reader’s Digest. It was germane to their mission, and they kindly included a credit line. Still, they broke the law. Which law? Copyright law. Unless they formally obtained permission from … Read more
There’s a phenomenon I’ve long observed affecting the ability of people to write clearly and effectively. Economists and psychologists have referred to the phenomenon as the “curse of knowledge.” In simple terms, it’s what happens when we fail to recognize others don’t know what we do. When we try to communicate with them, we use … Read more
When presenting workshops on writing more effectively, I always tell attendees the most important advice I can offer is to eschew obfuscation. If you’re scratching your head, don’t feel bad. The two words are unfamiliar to most people. “Eschew” is a verb that means deliberately avoiding something or some act. If you’re allergic to okra, … Read more
Is proofreading important? Have you noticed the dramatic increase in the number of typos and other mistakes in materials produced by companies and organizations? I suspect it results from three factors: emphasizing haste over quality, relying on software spellcheckers, and unfamiliarity with spelling and language. Granted, the mistake someone at your company makes may not … Read more
“I hate writing!” Perhaps that should be music to my ears because it ensures a steady stream of work, but it saddens me. Many people dislike (or even fear) writing and are intimidated by knitting words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs. Nearly everyone needs to write now and again. Being able to assemble words … Read more
Companies that hire white paper writers have made a smart business decision. Hiring a white paper writer instead of writing a white paper yourself not only means you can stay focused on your job’s normal responsibilities, but gives you someone who will approach the project with more objectivity, an outside viewpoint, and stronger skills. How … Read more
Choosing your internal team to write white papers may seem like an obvious choice, given their familiarity with the information in those white papers, but there are many reasons to look elsewhere for help. Non-writers shouldn’t write white papers Your team members may be skilled writers, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be effective at articulating … Read more
I’ve long recognized many of the companies with the best information do the worst job of presenting it. It’s clear they have the expertise, but the wrong people are responsible for sharing that knowledge. It’s not really the fault of those individuals. Each of us has specific skills and knowledge areas. But while someone in … Read more
I’ll be the first to admit that the ampersand (that familiar little “&” mark) can be handy now and then. But it’s one of the most-misused tools in the punctuation toolbox. The ampersand is a graphic replacement for the word “and.” Used properly in graphic design, it can even be a thing of beauty — … Read more