Writing is not as easy it looks. It’s the little things that can trip you up. Take this ad that appeared recently in a UK Sunday paper: As an NICEIC electrician, you can trust me and my work. Oops. Classic mistake: the two clauses don’t work together. I’m not being a grammar pedant here. The Read More
Month: September 2011
Same rules for all: citizens and professionals
It is no coincidence that The Times today has a page of debate about the role of professional journalists as Blottr.com claims to have 1,000 “citizen journalists”. Can’t show you The Times articles bacause of its fire wall. We know the perceived state of professional journalism: ethically challenged and less able to serve its purpose Read More
Centaur answers tough question
Centaur Media’s results for its full year show that swift if painful action can keep the ship of B2B magazine publishing not only afloat but sailing strongly. Some reports concentrated on the £30.3 million pre tax loss. That’s understandable. Closer look But a closer look shows a more healthy position at Centaur: revenues up 14%; Read More
Top tip of the week on writing for the web
#32 Make it easy for people to find your content. Think about the words and phrases they will use to find your article. Get those words in the headline. Get them high up on the page, where search engines will find them. Repeat them lower down. See more top tips here. Read More
Better trained graduates with the PPA certificate from UEL
Graduates better trained in the ways of magazine journalism are coming onto the market soon. Selected students from the University of East London will take the Professional Publishers Association Professional Certificate in Journalism. Those who pass will be able to put the certificate on the desk as well as their degree in journalism for potential Read More
Plain English please
I’m always on the look out for examples of writing, good and bad. So finding both in the space of a few lines is a real bonanza. Starting strong is one of my mantras so I was pleased to see this letter that came through my door recently from an estate agent did. The first Read More
Essentials shows the reader is the celebrity
Essentials, the women’s monthly magazine from IPC, shows this month why its circulation is rising faster than any other women’s magazine: its closeness to its readers. Essentials’ October edition is edited by 7 women readers. We are used to celebrity editors but this puts the readers into the celebrity slot. They are featured on the Read More
Top tip of the week on grammar
#31 Use hyphens to glue words together to clarify your meaning. Take each word in turn and if it makes sense on its own with the noun then it does not need a hyphen. If it has to be glued to another to make sense, then use a hyphen See more top tips here. Read More