Business Writing

Can You Fix This Headline?

Reader Lionel B. Dyck has provided us with a great, weird headline to improve. It’s from “The Jerusalem Post.” Yes, newspapers are a special breed of writing, and headlines must be concise. But this one cuts so many words that it hurts my logical head. How would you clarify it?... Read more →

Writing About Ourselves: Bragging Without Blushing

For many of us, it’s difficult to write about ourselves without feeling uncomfortable. Maybe that’s because of childhood messages we heard about being modest. I, for one, had an imposing old aunt who announced, whenever I was happily bragging, “Self-praise stinks.” Yet even my twenty-something daughter, raised in a praise-filled... Read more →

Don't Have It Printed Til You Read This Post!

Yesterday I went on an urban hike. Climbing stairs among lush greenery, I spotted the sign below. Not again! Someone had once again printed a sign without checking on their use of apostrophes. Don’t do it! Before creating a sign or printing cards that include an apostrophe, read this post.... Read more →

The Commonest Error of 2019

Which error did you see most often in 2019? Was it a missing comma? A misplaced or missing apostrophe? A lack of subject-verb agreement? A word used incorrectly? The error I found most often in work projects—especially copyediting presentations and manuscripts—is described below, with one bonus error. The error is... Read more →

A Funny Error at the Theater

I went to a performance at one of my favorite Seattle theaters the other night. Attending the performance earned me the opportunity to get $5 off a ticket to a future offering. But the promotional card in the program included an error that made me laugh. Can you find it?... Read more →

A Perfect, Imperfect Sign

On vacation in Las Cruces, New Mexico, I try not to focus on business writing. But it's a habit that's hard to break. Words, phrases, and messages grab my attention, even on vacation. Here's a sign I like for its brevity and directness, though traditionalists may quibble with its structure.... Read more →

Want Better Writing From Employees? Start With Coaching

By Allison Horak -- Supervisors often feel their employees can’t write well. How about you? Do you spend time correcting the same mistakes repeatedly for your employees? One way to address this issue is to carve out time for coaching, especially for employees whose work involves a lot of writing.... Read more →

Do You Ignore Untitled Attachments? Think Again.

UPDATE: Yesterday I shared an example of a time that I did not open an untitled attachment when I should have. Since then several readers have commented strongly that one should NEVER open untitled attachments. I stand corrected. Please read the original post (it’s brief)—and their important comments. Here's the... Read more →

Was She Too Concise? Or Am I Oversensitive?

I had an experience recently where an individual sent me an email reply with no message--just an attachment. I felt let down, disappointed that my gracious communication had prompted what appeared to be a hasty, minimal reply. I wonder: Am I overreacting? Please share your opinion in the comments. Here's... Read more →

Apostrophes: Ignorance & Laziness Have Not Won!

Over the past 24 hours, news outlets have featured a story about the closing of the Apostrophe Protection Society, whose founder, John Richards, wrote, "We, and our many supporters worldwide, have done our best but the ignorance and laziness present in modern times have won!" I say they have not.... Read more →