My photo was on a billboard, so what?
My headshot photo loomed larger than life on a Times Square Billboard on March 11, 2013. It was a rare moment of achieving what might be considered fame. But so what—what does this mean in the larger scheme of things? How I made it onto the billboard In the old days, you had to be […]
Simplify and clarify to write better
“The road to not writing badly starts with simplifying and clarifying,” wrote Ben Yagoda in “In Writing, First Do No Harm.” Yagoda is the author of How to Not Write Bad: The Most Common Writing Problems and How to Avoid Them. Here are some steps you can take to apply Yagoda’s advice to your writing: Use […]
Don’t write like a spiny cedar!
The triangular spikes that studded the tree’s bark caught my eye along the Costa Rican trail. They’re the spiny cedar’s protection against sloths who would scale it. When you write, please don’t put spikes on your text. They’ll turn away the time-pressed readers who are your sloths. What are the spikes in your writing? In […]
Another reason to proofread: Broker example
When your letters include typos, you confuse your readers and undercut your image as a professional. One of my Weekly Tip readers shared the following story about some terrible typos. I’d like to credit him, but he told me that he “must remain anonymous because he is not authorized to speak to the media.” Can […]
Techniques to boost your white paper’s visual appeal
“Do I need one exhibit per page in my white paper?” A prospect’s question prompted me to turn to a designer for a response. David Williams of Red Dart suggests that you use one graphic element rather than one exhibit per page, as he explains in his article below. David was highly recommended by two […]