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View ArticleWorried about using plain language?
In honor of International Plain Language Day, I’ll address a common concern about using plain language when writing at work. Will plain style make your audience think less of you? With my colleagues,...
View ArticleFix This Writing! Jed’s Customer Email
The terrific Leslie O’Flahavan, owner of E-WRITE, and I recently held our first LinkedIn Live broadcast of Fix This Writing! Two Experts Show How to Make Bad Writing Better. Watch the recording and...
View ArticleYou want to explain first. But should you keep readers waiting for your point?
If you’re writing to readers from Western cultures, don’t make them wait! Western attention spans are short. We value efficiency–most of the time. But I need to explain when efficiency is (and isn’t)...
View ArticleMinutes or notes? Why and how to create a meeting record
No matter how quickly you can record a meeting, notes and transcripts are worthless if the minutes are not written by a pro who can create a record that future readers can actually use.
View ArticleWhat’s “executive” about an executive summary?
When a business professional needs to influence other people to do something not obviously beneficial to them, the pro often writes a document designed to persuade those people. That’s why we have...
View ArticleSave time and avoid frustration during content collaborations
Here are some common workplace issues that are one focus for my technical editing students this week. Content Collaboration #1 You’ve just started work on a document and are gathering information to...
View ArticleYou want to explain first. But should you keep readers waiting for your point?
If you’re writing to readers from Western cultures, don’t make them wait! Western attention spans are short. We value efficiency–most of the time. But I need to explain when efficiency is (and isn’t)...
View ArticleMinutes or notes? Why and how to create a meeting record
No matter how quickly you can record a meeting, notes and transcripts are worthless if the minutes are not written by a pro who can create a record that future readers can actually use.
View ArticleWhat’s “executive” about an executive summary?
When a business professional needs to influence other people to do something not obviously beneficial to them, the pro often writes a document designed to persuade those people. That’s why we have...
View ArticleSave time and avoid frustration during content collaborations
Here are some common workplace issues that are one focus for my technical editing students this week. Content Collaboration #1 You’ve just started work on a document and are gathering information to...
View ArticleFeds make better grades in 2015
The Center for Plain Language recently released final grades for US federal agencies. After completing a rigorous evaluation process, they concluded that Participation by agencies in the Center for...
View ArticleStyle? Voice? Tone? What’s the diff?
Based on the number of articles about the topic, defining (and distinguishing among) these three terms or concepts is of some importance to content creators. I’ve added links to a few relevant articles...
View ArticleStyle Standards for Technical Writing
I’m back (after an extreme hiatus from blogging). Because I’m teaching a new graduate course on style for technical writers, I thought I’d share some of the content I’ve been developing here. If you’d...
View ArticleGrades for content quality from federal agencies
Since 2010, the Center for Plain Language annually judges the quality of content produced by US government agencies. The results for 2017 are shown below. I love these report cards for several reasons...
View ArticleShibboleths & White Shoes: 5 Lessons for Editors
This post is a response to comments from readers about my use of “insure” in Editors insure content matches audience readiness for it. I’m using this as a teaching moment for my technical editing...
View ArticleEditors insure content matches audience readiness for it
My technical editing students are working on a developmental edit on some assembly instructions from Ikea. To help them make good recommendations, we’ve been discussing how to help content creators...
View ArticleUnderstand the audience for content you are editing
Editing should maximize the likelihood the purpose of the content creator’s message is achieved. If the content is supposed to inform, then the audience must be able to comprehend it. If the content is...
View ArticleUnderstand the purpose of the content you are editing
Tomorrow, my technical editing students at the University of North Texas begin discussing editorial decision-making. The rhetorical context within which content is created is critical to good editorial...
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The (sub)genre of the executive summary. [Version 2.0]
[updated from the original post on March 16, 2016] When a business professional needs to influence other people to do something not obviously beneficial to them, the individual often writes a...
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