Hall of Shame/Hall of Fame

"In the 21 years that I have been involved in the xxxxxx industry, I have bared witness to a number of times when suppliers attempted, with varying levels of success..."

This appeared in an e-newsletter under "A Few Thoughts from the President & CEO."  I had a few thoughts, too. First, the proper verb is "bear," not "bare." Second, the correct tense is "borne" (the past participle). Third, why not just use "observed"? Better yet: "... numerous times I have seen suppliers attempt, with varying levels of success..."


And, finally: who the heck let this go out with the CEO's name on it?

Who's doing it right? Today I induct Patricia Janeway from the Detroit Zoo into our informal Hall of Fame. If you want to see press releases done right, get on her mailing list. They are always short, clear, informative, simply formatted and often interesting. That's the way N2D Media Group believes in writing them, too.

The Apocryphal Apostrophe

"The Holiday’s will be here before you know it... "

"(Venue) To Host An Array of Artist’s... "

"... back to it’s roots, back to the 50’s and 60’s, and playing the game as it was originally played… "

What do all these sentences have in common? Besides some questionable capitalization, they share misplaced apostrophes. In the first two, both apostrophes should be deleted, as "Holidays" and "Artists" are plural, not possessive. In the the third sentence, "it's" should be "its" because it's not a contraction, and no apostrophes are needed for "50s and 60s" because again, they are plural, not possessive.

These examples came from press releases and an e-newsletter we received, but we see this mistake everywhere: websites, signage, advertising, etc. Is it so common you shouldn't worry about it in your communications? Only if common is good enough. If you'd rather show that you care about setting a standard of excellence and a commitment to detail, but don't have the time or staff to worry about apostrophes, consider letting a professional like N2D Media Group handle your communications.

Confused about apostrophes? Here's a great guide from one of our favorite sites, The Oatmeal.

Proof that professional writing pays

The message may come from across the pond, but holds true around the world: it pays to hire a professional when it comes to content for your website-- or anything you want written well.

Spelling mistakes online 'cost millions'

By Craig Grannell on July 15, 2011 (for .net magazine)

Copywriting experts warn that sloppy copy can impact on your websites

According to a report on BBC news, online entrepreneur Charles Duncombe claims poor spelling is costing the UK millions of pounds in lost business. He says an analysis of website statistics shows a single spelling mistake can cut online sales in half. The report adds that similar concerns have been voiced by the Confederation of British Industry, who warned that employers were "having to invest in remedial literacy lessons for their staff."

"If a company can't even be bothered to check the text on their website, will they bother sending my order out quickly, or answering the phone if I have problems?"

Read the complete article here.