Simple language helps your readers, even when they understand technical terms
Plain language helps your readers, even when they understand technical terms. The Yahoo! Style Guide makes a great point on this topic: Even if more technical or sophisticated language is appropriate for your site, your readers will appreciate simpler language in the areas where their eyes are scanning to determine what a page is about. […]
Why I’m not using LinkedIn Creator Mode
LinkedIn Creator Mode is a great tool for authors, said a book marketing expert on a webinar I attended last fall. She didn’t go into details, so I was intrigued when LinkedIn expert Crystal Thies discussed Creator Mode in her article for the December NAPFA Advisor. What is Creator Mode? By default, you have LinkedIn’s […]
Secret of regular blogging
In 2010, a portfolio manager told me his most powerful tip for blogging on a regular schedule: I speak my thoughts into Dragon NaturallySpeaking. This speech recognition software transcribes his words, so he need not type his first draft. This is a great time saver. Back then, Dragon software was your main option for automated […]
Go from short to long!
Rearranging elements of a sentence “from short to long, from simple to compound, increases the ability of the reader to understand them,” says Bruce Ross-Larson in Edit Yourself: A Manual for everyone who works with words, one of my favorite editing books. Ross-Larson has three related rules. First, count the syllables. This will let you […]
MISTAKE MONDAY for December 27: Can YOU spot what’s wrong?
Can you spot what’s wrong in the image below? Can’t find it? Try reading the item out loud. Please post your answer as a comment. I post these challenges to raise awareness of the importance of proofreading.