Social Media Monday—Don’t let Bad Grammar Wreck Your Blog Traffic!

The highway to a successful blog needs constant maintenance. We must be on the lookout for debris and potholes—any of which can wreck your blog traffic.

Writing for the Internet—Respect for the Common Email

One part of writing for the Internet that a lot of people miss is the lowly email. This method of correspondence has too long been neglected and ignored. Because it’s possible to reach so many through this simple delivery system we’ve somehow relegated it to the unimportant.

It is actually one of the most vital ways we use to reach out to others.

The reasons for this neglect are too numerous to innumerate in full, but just a few are listed here:

• The multitude of email we send and receive each day has…well…made us lazy. We no longer pay attention to the common principles of grammar. We dash off missives full of sentence fragments, misspellings and punctuation gone wild.
• The conversational tone has reduced our correspondence to an undecipherable mélange of clichés and half-conveyed information. We run thoughts and sentences together with the assumption the reader will get enough of what we’re trying to say, to do what we want them too.
• The audience we commonly target with email generally consists of close friends and associates, and we impose on their relationships with us to cover our haste. What we’ve forgotten is they’re just as busy and the time required to decipher our messages is, at least an irritation, and at most an imposition.

So what’s a busy person to do? Below is a list of common email mistakes that only take a few moments to catch with a quick scan and can greatly increase the respect your correspondence, and you, receive.

Common Email Mishaps

• Misspelled names. This is basic and it amounts to a first impression for the email, as well as for us, if this is the first time we’ve corresponded with the recipient.
• The overuse of exclamation points. Okay, I admit it. It’s an easy way to get our point across, and I’m definitely guilty of this. But really, the more often it’s used the less effective it becomes.
• Extra or inconsistent spacing between sentences. In this day and time (and for those of you who missed it—the past 15 years) sentences should only have ONE space between them, not two. I know this seems picky, but when you’re glancing at a paragraph the inconsistency is quite noticeable.
• The confusion of when to use THAT versus WHO. The word that, is used following a thing (or a group). While the word who, is used when referring to a person. 
• Trying to say too much at once. I know we’re busy, but slow down and use separate sentences (or even paragraphs) for addressing unrelated items.
• Consistent information. This is a big one. When you’re giving a list of information, like upcoming events, give the same information—in the same order—for each event. Otherwise your recipient is left scrambling for times and locations. It’s also easier for us to accidently omit the needed information if it’s listed haphazardly.
• Incorrect use of hyphens, en dashes and em dashes. Here’s a quick grammar lesson.
• Hyphens (also incorrectly referred to as dashes) are used in compound words, or words that are linked together as one thing. Example: five-year-old girl.
• En dashes are slightly longer and are used to separate numbers. Example: from October 7 – 8. You format this by typing the number, space, dash, space, number, space.
• Em dashes are the longest of the three and are used when you’re expanding or modifying a statement. Example: give the same information—in the same order—for each event. In Microsoft Word, you format this by typing the word, then dash, dash, next word and space. In Pages, you format this by pressing the shift, option, dash keys at the same time.

• Incorrect use of ellipsis (…). This punctuation mark is used to denote a break in thought or speech. It is NOT interchangeable with the em dash.
• Use of periods at the end of a bulleted list. According the AP Style Guide (the general guide that governs writing for the Internet) a bulleted list should include the use of a period at the end of each bullet point. There are levels of acceptance for this guideline, and most people don’t add a period at the end of a one word bullet point. BUT the important thing here is consistency. If you end even one of the bullet points with a punctuation mark—like a question mark—you must end them ALL with a punctuation mark.
• Use of contractions. While this isn’t a requirement, it is something that should be considered, especially if you’re writing in a conversational tone. We speak in contractions, but we do not naturally write in contractions. After you’ve written an email, give it a quick read—out loud—to find the places you would normally use a contraction.
• Common comma usage. A book could be written about how to correctly use commas, and most of it would be considered wrong by the next grammarian you consult. But there are still a few hard and fast rules. Here are two: 
• When you have a compound sentence, connected with a conjunction, you use a comma if the second part of the sentence is a complete sentence.
• A serial comma is NOT used with the AP Style Guide. Example: red, white and blue.
• Disorganized method of delivery. This one is more of a general concern. But it’s important to construct your email in an orderly fashion. Group topics in paragraphs and keep the flow of the information logical.

When we pay attention to these small issues, we convey an attitude of respect toward our audience. With just a small amount of effort, we show how we value their time, and it invites a respectful consideration of the information we’re sending. 

So how about you, any pet peeves when it comes to emails you send or receive?

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

Thursday Review—Polishing the Pugs

Polishing the Pugs, by Kathy Ide

a book review by Renee Cassidy

Upon first glance at this month’s book, I had to smile at the title. What are Pugs and why should they be polished?

Further examination revealed the subtitle, PUGS stands for Punctuation, Usage, Grammar and Spelling.  Deborah Raney, one of my favorite fiction authors had recommended this book, “a fantastic resource, concise, well researched and conveniently organized. I refer to it often.”

Kathy Ide’s masterpiece of a reference book takes a complex subject and breaks it down into useable bites of information.  For those of us who are editorially challenged, this book provides simple steps with common mistakes to review. She jokes that her colleagues called her the PUGS lady and rethink simple emails to her.  So would I after reading this book! The book is divided into four sections to address the acronym and include punctuation, usage, grammar and style.

The introduction starts with the statement, “A book with problems is a book rejected.” How true when acquisitions editors are presented with sloppy manuscripts. Many are already looking for small reasons to reject the submitted work.

The 10 reasons to polish the PUGS include the following:

• PUGS errors decrease your acceptance chance.
• PUGS cause miscommunication.
• PUGS errors cause confusion.
• PUGS errors give an unprofessional appearance.
• PUGS errors can be embarrassing.
• PUGS errors cause readers to take you and your message less seriously.
• PUGS errors could cost you money.
• PUGS errors can be distracting.
• PUGS errors can give Christians and Christianity a poor reputation.

Details are important in a writer’s bag of tools and display professionalism. The four sectioned book breaks down the detail elements by category.

Punctuation

The most commonly misused mistakes are displayed in this section from periods and quotation marks to commas and italics. At the end of this section, punctuation tips are added in three.

• Use punctuation sparingly.
• Be consistent.
• When in doubt look it up.

Usage

Commonly misused words are displayed in this section. There are also helpful article tips on multiple pages. At the end of this section is filling in the blanks so that you can add your own most confusing words for future reference.

Grammar

There are huge reference books to address this subject, but Kathy Ide breaks down the huge books to the most common grammatical mistakes. The additional sections to address pronouns and modifiers are separated in this section. To round out this section, there are 4 grammar myths to learn and unlearn from your English classes. 

• Never split an infinitive.
• Never start a sentence with a conjunction.
• Never end a sentence with a proposition.
• Never use the word hopefully in place of “It is hoped.”

Spelling

Interestingly enough, it is recommended that a writer never rely on spell check.  This section highlights the commonly misspelled words.  It addresses publisher’s preferences, words for modern technology, hyphens and numbers.  This section is invaluable.

The conclusion of this book adds Kathy Ide’s personal information as well as how to obtain copies of this book.  Her website is www.kathyide.com. She's both a writer and a frequent speaker at writer’s conferences.  She also provides other services such as ghost writing and editorial services and has a great website for editors, The Christian Pen.

Renee Cassidy is an experienced freelance writer and photographer. In 2006 she won the Writer's Digest Short Story Contest and has gone on to write for multiple publications. With a degree in marketing she brings her varied experience to the benefit of her clients.

She has two grown children and currently lives with the two men in her life - Fritz, her German Shephered and Australian Cash, her quarter horse.

Thursday Review - Grammar Snobs are Great Big Meanies

I have to confess, I love grammar. To me, it’s fascinating, not frustrating. I know many people don’t share my passion and that’s okay. But as writers, especially if you aren’t a big fan, you should have a good grammar reference in your book collection. And IMHO (in my humble opinion)—this is one of the best out there.

Grammar Snobs are Great Big Meanies
A Guide to Language for Fun & Spite
by June Casagrande

I’m in love with this title and I think I would have bought the book just to have it on my shelf. And if you think the title’s great, wait until you read the chapter titles. Here are a few of my favorites:

• The Sexy Mistake—“To Lay” versus “To Lie”
• Snobbery Up With Which You Should Not Put—Prepositions
• Is That a Dangler in Your Memo or Are You Just Glad to See Me?
• R U Uptite?—Shortcuts in the Digital Age and the Meanies Who Hate Them
• The Silence of the Linguists—Double Possessives and Possessives with Gerunds

And my favorite – the title of her introduction

• Grammar Snobs Make Good Prison Brides

All kidding aside, this book has it all. And, beyond that, it’s easy to find the answers you need. Ms Casagrande makes grammar understandable and shows us that language is fluid. She helps us understand that no one really knows the answer to some of these questions.

I’d love to know where you go when you need help with grammar. So chime in and let’s learn from each other.

Don't forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

Thursday Review - On Writing Well

On Writing Well,
The Classic Guide to Writing Non-fiction
by William Zinsser

Most of us were first exposed to writing in school. With this new world of expression came a set of rules as unchangeable as death and taxes. But, as any professional writer has found, there is a huge gulf between academic writing and writing for the public. As a matter of fact, the previous sentence would offend most grammar/writing teachers because it begins with the word ‘but.’ The once solid foundation of grammar rules we learned in school are, with few exceptions, now optional.

So where is a budding writing to turn for credible information on this minefield? Enter William Zinsser, who by the way, also served on the usage pane of The American Heritage Dictionary. There are hundreds of writing books on library and book shelves, but On Writing Well is one that every serious writer should own.

This 300 page book is a breath of fresh air and a bridge between dry grammar tomes and esoteric motivational writing books. He covers a wide range of subjects, including word usage, structure, style, tone and unity. He discusses many different mediums from travel articles to memoirs.

This book is easy to read, as entertaining as it is instructive. Zinsser points out common writing mistakes and offers simple solutions. Every writer should read this book, at least once a year. It doesn’t matter if you’re a raw beginner or a seasoned professional, this book will improve your skills and make you a better writer.

Don't forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,
Edie