The Write Blog

So, Gamefly.com has been running this ad lately. Check it out:

People buy bad video games. They freak out, realizing that they’ve purchased bad video games. They continue to freak out, ostensibly because they’re stuck with their bad video games (and out the 50 to 60 bucks they paid for them).

The ad ends with a line that says something like, “Never buy bad games again.”

So, the message is . . . we should rent bad games? The ability to rent dozens of bad games per month, delivered straight to your mailbox is somehow better than buying one bad game? There’s no need to freak out – you don’t have to keep this bad game? You can send it back, and in a few days, you’ll get another bad game (but at least you’re not stuck with it)?

Continue reading Positive vs. Negative Marketing . . . and Gamefly’s “Bad Game” TV Spot

Thanks to Alise Isbell for contributing this wonderful post on a very interesting proofreading method. You’re bound to catch more errors if you do this!

Ratiocination is a miracle that changed the way I write and edit. While not a professional writer, my company trains people how to write more effectively, and ratiocination helps. Webster’s Dictionary defines ratiocination as “the process of exact thinking” or “a reasoned train of thought.”

Language is a vehicle, like a car. It has parts like suffixes, prefixes, words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs etc… People can rearrange the parts to function differently. For example, we slow down the reader with longer words or more complicated verb tenses. We can also speed up the reader by doing the opposite. The key to effective writing is tinkering with the right parts of language to get the desired results.

Why does ratiocination get results? When proofreading, the process isolates grammar concepts and allows the writer to assess the parts instead of the whole piece. Writers use basic grammar concepts with this process to improve the effectiveness and impact of their message.

How it works:
Continue reading Simple Proofreading Process with a Big Name: Ratiocination

How’s this for a proofreading horror story: Because of a teeny little typo, people calling for a free cab service on New Year’s Eve ended up connecting with an “adult” chat line instead. Oops. That’s the kind of mistake that most likely ends in a lost client and a very, very unhappy boss.

Proofreading is about more than making sure you’ve caught spelling and punctuation errors. Before you can really sign off on a proofreading job with a clear conscience (and a happy client), make sure you’ve checked the numbers, too:

1. Triple-check all contact information. Verify addresses (including ZIP codes, suite numbers, etc.), check the phone numbers (to be absolutely sure, give ‘em a call), and visit URLs.

2. Make sure page numbers add up. Does your document jump from page 10 to page 13? Print out your document and take a look. And, while we’re on the subject of page numbers . . .

Continue reading Eight Proofreading Mistakes that Count!

A lot of marketers will tout the benefits of social media marketing for businesses: You’ve probably heard that businesses actually have two different reputations, online and offline. The same goes for individuals – everyone who’s a member of a social networking site has an online presence.

When dealing with the Internet, you have to be proactive when it comes to online reputation management, both personally and professionally. We’ve written a blog before about online reputation management and the importance of managing your Wikipedia page. We’ve all heard the horror stories about people getting fired for things they say or do on the Internet, getting passed over for jobs because of their MySpace or Facebook profiles, and serious backlash against businesses from bloggers (NBC, anyone?).

Hence the importance of online reputation management. Online reputation management actually combines two things: marketing and PR. Whether as an individual or business owner, online reputation management should be a regular part of your life – like paying the bills or filing your taxes. Luckily, online reputation management can be done fairly easily.

Here are 3 tips to keep your online reputation in check:

1. Google yourself! That’s right – the best way to see what people are saying about you or your business is to regularly Google your name. Better, yet, set up a Google alert for yourself. Just go to Continue reading Why You Should Be Googling Yourself: 3 Tips for Online Reputation Management

Make any resolutions this year? I’m going to propose you make one more: Polish your emails. Write flawless notes. Look smarter.

Check out this hilarious cartoon on The Oatmeal’s site, Ten Words You Need to Stop Misspelling. It outlines some of the most commonly misspelled words (and yes, even the best of us make these mistakes sometimes) in a fun, entertaining way. Study it. Commit these words to memory.

If I could add just one more word pair to this list, it would Continue reading Ten Words to Learn How to Spell in 2010