The TPB Copy Editor’s Blog
Your writing represents you, your credibility, and your reputation.
An Overlooked Mistake Can Prove Costly to Your Business
An overlooked mistake sets the stage
I recently read a 2016 online article about a car dealership that worked with a direct marketing firm to create a “sweepstakes ad campaign.” The campaign included 50,000 lottery-style scratch-off tickets. The individual holding the grand prize-winning ticket would receive $1,000.
God, the United States, the Internet, and the Need for Credible Facts
How to avoid embarrassing yourself at the grocery store (and use appropriate capitalization)
God, the United States, and the Internet are not frequent topics at our grocery store. However, while shopping recently, I saw a man venting at the clerk checking his groceries. I’m not sure what started his tirade, but it focused on politicians and the news media.
Employee Termination Idioms Survey Reveals Common Expressions
Here are the results of our poll concerning the most common expressions associated with employee termination. A week ago, I launched a poll on LinkedIn asking: How does your workplace typically express the act of termination to an employee? As a copy editor and blogger, I was curious about how different employers use various idioms to communicate this action.
Employee Termination: How to Express this Action – Part 1
We've launched a poll about the most common expressions associated with terminating an employee at work. Employee termination, though difficult, is sometimes essential to improvement in the workplace. However, different workplaces throughout the U.S. and the U.K. use various “idioms” to communicate this action.
Writing for Work: How to Avoid Career Embarrassment
Writing for work can have career implications. Have you ever discovered a grammar, spelling, or punctuation error you made when writing for work—but only after you published or presented it? That’s why it’s essential to proofread anything you write that represents you and your business. Many people will judge you on the quality of your writing, whether it’s fair to do so or not.
Old Rules: A Lesson About Commas and Your Career Success
A college instructor opened her English 101 class with the question: “Does a comma 'always' follow words such as -- next, then, and finally -- at the beginning of a sentence? Most of the students indicated their agreement, with several commenting about learning this practice in their high school English classes. The instructor then said, “There is no rule that a comma ‘always’ follows a particular word or phrase. The use of a comma depends on syntax (the structure of a sentence), pace, tone, and even personal preference.”