1. 7
Former editor reveols common writing errors
by Kmberly Kettlewell
I
Jr.-,an White is farniliar with good writing-
and writing mistakes. As a former assistant
managing editor and features editor at The
Denorcr Posr, she says that the mistakes that
PR professionals rnake are similar to those
made by professional writers. They inclucle
weak lea,ls, lack of specificity, improper use
of pronouns, poor organization, grammati-
cal errors (such as lack of agreement
between subject and verb), run-on sen-
tences and misplaced modifiers.
Common Mistokes
Among the more elusive rules,
White adds that most writers have prob-
lems with recognition and punctuation of
a compound sentence, use of a singr-rlar
pronoun in reference to a collective noun
and lack of a surnmary lead. Another all-
too-common rnistake she notices is failure
to follow AP style.
Among the resources invaluable to
PR professionals, White recommends The
Elements of Sryle by Strunk and White.
She believes that the only way to learn to
write u,ell-and continr-re to write well-
is to do a lot of writing and rewriting in
addition to reacling. She also values edi-
tors for identifying mistakes. lUhite's
mantra is: "Everyone needs an editor.
Even editors need editors."
White notes that tremendous inno-
vation is taking place in the technologies
used to communicate, which forces writ-
ers to be even more aware of spelling,
gralnmar and usage. New technologies
often exclude face-to-face encounters and
leave reputations relying solely on written
materials. "Good communication is not a
luxury in today's technology-inclined
communication," she says.
Credibility Suffers
"'W'rltten errors and poor grammar can
hurt a company's credibility," White says.
"Businesses should realize that good writing
and u,et-edited rnaterials result in better
communication-and a better bottom
l. r,
ltne.
White has seen how poorly written
press releases hurt PR professionals'
credibility with
editors. That is
why in 1994,
she founded
Executive
Editors to pro-
vide a full range
of editorial ser-
vices, including
writing, editing,
training and
communications
consulting.
Recently, she
launched the-
copydesk.net,
modeling it
after the tradi-
rional newspa-
per copy desk,
because she has
seen the need
by many corporations for fast, easily
accessible professional help with written
cornmunications.
4
Bosic rules for wrilers
Adapted by Kmberly Kettbwell
Joan White of thecopydesk.net
shared these additional tips for improv-
ing written communication.
Writing
If you do not know how to begin
to write something, talk it over with
someone e[se. Start with the main
point, elaborate on it within the docu-
ment and summarize it succinctly.
Be specific and use simple words.
Multi-syllabic words tend to stop the
reader while roo many fronouns can
"fog" your writing, making the reader's
job more difficult.
o Write in the active voice. Use
Strong and active verbs.
r Keep your sentences short.
o Write deductively. Get to the
point.
Most importantly, always find
someone to look over your work before
you send it out.
Editing
Leam to recognize the simple sub-
ject and the simple predicate, so that you
will know when you have a compound
sentence that requires punctuation. If
you are having trouble with the sentence
strllcture, rewrite the sentence.
o Use AP style consistently. Check
unfamiliar words.
. Always check spelling. This is
particularly important with
names of people, companies and
institutions.
o Check your facts.
o Proofread your copy multiple
times.
It is important to become a good
editor for yourself and for the others
around you.