Word Wise: The Wednesday Word Wise Roundup

December 19, 2007

The Wednesday Word Wise Roundup

Joanna Young’s Confident Writing blog (which I found through a legal writing blog by a lawyer in New Orleans named Raymond Ward) recently featured “10 tried and tested techniques to turn your readers' heads - and then seduce them with the power of your words.” I especially like “Drone on with long sentences and never-ending paragraphs and your readers will soon go elsewhere for kicks. Stick to the point. Say what you need to say - and move on. It's guaranteed to keep them coming back for more.” I couldn't have said it better myself.

Anyone who reads this blog (or knows or works with me) knows I think starting press releases or other documents with questions is usually a bad idea. At “Unsolicited Marketing Advice,” Warren Allan Johnson offers further insight into why questions are, uhm, questionable. “Overall, when you find yourself using a question in your copy, step back and consider working a bit harder to rephrase the section,” he writes. “Questions should be used as a carefully thought out and judiciously applied technique in your copywriting.”

Posted at 06:45 AM | Permalink

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Comments

Hey Dan, thanks for the kind words about my post regarding questions in copywriting. Sorry you had problems with the hyperlinks. Here is the permalink for the post:
http://unsolicitedmarketingadvice.blogspot.com/2007/11/use-and-abuse-of-questions-in.html

Hope this helps. Best regards, Warren.

Posted by: Warren Allan Johnson | December 19, 2007 at 10:58 AM

Hi Dan - great to meet you, and thanks for highlighting my blog.

I was really pleased when Raymond picked out my piece on engaging your readers because it's connected me up with lots of other blogs and bloggers - like yourself. I'll be back!

Joanna

Posted by: Joanna Young | December 19, 2007 at 05:28 PM

Thanks, Warren. I just fixed it.

Posted by: Dan Santow | December 19, 2007 at 10:46 PM

Why "Word Wise"?

When I started to send out a weekly writing tip to my Chicago colleagues at Edelman (the world's largest privately owned PR firm), little did I know how quickly the list of those receiving it would grow. But word spread, as word is wont to do, and for the past three years about 1,500 of my 2,400 colleagues worldwide have been receiving it. The tips, which are about grammar, usage and style, have a dual purpose – to remind my colleagues in public relations of the power of the written word (I’m lucky to work for a company that not only prizes, but expects, expert communications skills), and, more generally, to support and perpetuate clear, concise, creative, honest, lively, stylish, compelling writing everywhere. With “Word Wise,” I hope you’ll challenge me, challenge other readers, make suggestions, argue minutiae, add commentary, exchange ideas, and help all of us become the best writers we can be.