Archives for June 2012

5 Personal Branding Events to Visit This Year!

June 28, 2012 by Angus Shaw 1 Comment

In a world dominated by businesses competing for every imaginable facet of the world’s attention, nothing is more important to your marketing efforts than the creation and spreading of a brand.

Encompassing who you are, what you do and what you have to offer, your personal brand is your business’ gateway to the world at large, beckoning customers with logos, catchy slogans and product promises that you hope will draw them in for a closer look.

Knowing how important a carefully constructed and well-used personal brand is, consider attending one of these five personal branding events to visit this year in the name of sharpening your branding skills: [Read more…]

Just How Important Is Grammar?

June 26, 2012 by Noemi Leave a Comment

I honestly didn’t think that I would be asking this question today, but an article published by The Wall Street Journal caught me off guard. Titled “This Embarrasses You and I“, the article highlights the degradation of grammar in the workplace, leading to supposedly disastrous results.

You all probably know by now that I am a stickler for grammar, but you also ought to know that I can be flexible. I have always been a strong believer in context and purpose. In some cases, I will not settle for less than prescriptive grammar. In others, I tolerate (even engage in) the use of descriptive grammar.

So what is the article all about? I think the entire point can be found in one paragraph:

Managers are fighting an epidemic of grammar gaffes in the workplace. Many of them attribute slipping skills to the informality of email, texting and Twitter where slang and shortcuts are common. Such looseness with language can create bad impressions with clients, ruin marketing materials and cause communications errors, many managers say.

Is there anything wrong with managers fighting this epidemic? I think not. In a professional setting, I say it’s better to err on the side of caution rather than be worried about stepping on toes (of those who may not be particular about grammar).

Then again, it all depends on the setting and the nature/purpose of the communication.

After reading the article a couple of times and mulling its content over, I came to the conclusion that I maintain my position about flexibility and context. However, I also have to say that there are non-negotiables when it comes to grammar. I can think of two right now.

Verb tenses

Whether you are writing/speaking in a professional setting or not, I believe verb tenses are building blocks. You just need to get them right. Sure, you may slip up with the more complicated tenses now and then, but at least get the simple ones right: simple past, simple present, and simple future. That’s not such a difficult thing to do, yes?

Subject-verb agreement

This is another basic grammar point that I value highly. Unfortunately, once you get beyond the simple structures, subject-verb agreement can get quite tricky. Remember the slip up a Washington Post writer made earlier this year? (See my post here: Who’s Who and the Blues)

Making that mistake is understandable, although it should be caught upon proofreading – something which we should all do.

Now let me ask you. How important is correct grammar for you? Do you agree with my position, or do you think I am being too lax? Or maybe you have your own non-negotiables that you want to share with us?

Image via Project Space Spare Room

What Do You Call Someone Who Protests?

June 22, 2012 by Noemi 1 Comment

Last year could very well be called the year of protests. We’re only halfway through this year, but I guess we can say that protests are still the “in” thing.

Now please remember that this is a grammar column and not a political one, so let’s forget about the latter aspect of the word. Instead, why don’t we take a look at a noun derived from the word “protest”? What do you call a person who protests?

Is he a protester, or is he a protestor?

A quick look at online dictionaries will not give you a single answer. It seems that it goes both ways. It could be one of those things that depend on style and preference.

In fact, if you are well-versed in the AP style, you probably immediately thought “protester”, and there’s nothing wrong with that! What I found interesting, though, is the statement of John Simpson, the chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary.

From what I read in an article published by The Atlantic Wire, Simpson says “the variation [in using -er or -or] tends to indicate a level of expertise”. ((The Atlantic Wire)) He expounds:

“The suffix -er is the regular one used in English for agent nouns (nouns for people who do things, like protest). If we leave aside (a) words formed on verbs in -ate, where -or is normal, and (b) words in which the stem isn’t a verb at all, like doctor, then I think that the general feeling is that -or implies a rather specialized, technical, or professional role (as with advisor in contrast to adviser). But I should stress that this is only a tendency–one finds instances of both spellings.”

That’s something I learned today. I hope it will be of some use to you as well.

So which form do you use? Does this post change anything?

Image via jsgraphicdesign

6 Great Infographics About Freelancing

June 21, 2012 by Angus Shaw 4 Comments

Choosing to become a freelancer is both a positive and risky decision. You are setting our on your own, giving up the safety net of a steady employer. You are taking a step to be dependent entirely on yourself and no one else. It is liberating and terrifying, all at once.

Whether you are currently a freelancer in any industry or you are just thinking of taking the leap, these infographics can help. They are full of useful information and statistics. [Read more…]

Freelance Writing Jobs for June 18, 2012

June 18, 2012 by Noemi Leave a Comment

It’s the start of a new week. Were you able to recharge your batteries over the weekend? I think I have finally been able to shake off the bug that was bothering me practically all week, so I am ready for a fresh start this week.

Here are the first of the jobs. I wish you all a productive week ahead!

Freelance Writing Jobs

Content Writing

AP Econ Content Writer (Remote)
AP Psychology Content Writer (Remote)
Project-based Content Writer AP Statistics (Remote)
Project-based Content Writer AP Physics (Remote)
SEO Article Writer (Telecommute)
Wikipedia Page Writer

Blogging Jobs

Ghost Blogger – Single Parenting/Motherhood (Virtual)
IT Bloggers (Anywhere)
Mommy Bloggers
Business Blogger (Chicago)
Real Estate Blogger (Philadelphia)

Copywriting Jobs

Social Media Marketing Copywriter (Boston/Telecommute)
Writer for Suite of iPhone Apps (NY/Possible Telecommute)
eCommerce Copywriter (Korea Town, LA/Telecommute)

Proofreading/Editing Jobs

Business Book Proofreader (Virtual)
Editor – Specialty & Travel Bookseller (NYC)
Experienced Editor – Book on Canadian Immigration (Toronto/Telecommute)
Editor – Health Articles (San Francisco)

Plan/Proposal/Grant Writing Jobs

Foundation Writer (Hackensack, NJ)
Sales/Marketing Plan Writer (RTP)

Resume Writing Jobs

Resume Writer (Telecommute)
Professional Resume Writer (Houston)

General/Misc. Freelance Writing Jobs

Humor Ghost Writer (LA)
Content Strategist (Houston/Remote)
Ghost Writer for Opinion Piece – Published Author (NYC)
French to English Translator (VA/MD/DC)
Russian to English Translator – Film Script (LA)
Part-time Educational Writer (LA)
Funny/Comedy Writer (Telecommute)
Imaginative Co-writer for Sci-Fi Film (LA)
Freelance Thai and Tajik Translators
Writer/Editor for Various Projects (USA)
Gadget/Tech Writer (Anywhere)
French Translator – Technical Document (Work from Home)
Creative Writer (Del Ray Beach)

Magazine Writing Gigs

Assistant Editor/Writer (Billings – MT)
Contributors for Upcoming Magazine on Startups (NYC)
Freelance Technical Writers and Editors for Magazine (DFW)

It’s Not Wrong, Just Different

June 5, 2012 by Noemi 4 Comments

I have not visited a different country this year (so far), and this has naturally led me to spend some time reminiscing about the my previous trips. One thing that struck me about visiting different Asian countries is a line I heard practically everywhere: “Same, same, but different.”

The phrase was uttered in the context of people being the same (physical attributes for Asian tourists and the local shopkeepers) albeit with marked differences as well. That made me think about perspective, how things may seem so different that some people misconstrue them as “wrong” when in fact, they’re not.

Where does grammar come in?

I spent a little time reading this entry at The Wichita Eagle titled Style and grammar, or why lots of things aren’t ‘wrong’. I think that this should be mandatory reading for writers – no matter what kind of writing you do.

The entry tackles two definitions of grammar. Strictly speaking, grammar is all about “morphology (how to form words), syntax (how to form sentences) and semantics (what words and sentences mean)”. That’s what the “hardcore” grammarians love to talk about.

On the other hand, there’s the broader definition, which includes “punctuation, phonology (the sound system), orthoepy (correct pronunciation), orthography (correct spelling) and lexicon (vocabulary and usage)” on top of the first definition.

I think I am not wrong in saying that many of us use the second definition more often, am I?

That being said, I cannot agree more with the author of the entry about grammar and style. Sure, there are certain things that are wrong, no matter how you spin it. These usually fall under morphology and syntax, although there may be debatable points as well.

There are, however, many points that fall under style, and we, as writers, have to be more aware of the differences in style. I say this not only to make sure that our work fits the required style of the client, but also to ensure that we follow a consistent style (if there is no such requirement from the client).

Additionally, there is the fact that we have our (grammar) pet peeves. Some of us may not hesitate to point out the mistakes of other people, and while it may seem like a matter of death and life for us, my suggestion is this: make sure that you really are pointing out a mistake and NOT a difference in style.

Remember, folks, sometimes it’s not wrong. It’s just different.

*Here’s additional reading on prescriptive and descriptive grammar.

Image via puuikibeach

Top 5 Chrome Extensions for the At Home Writers

June 1, 2012 by Amanda DiSilvestro 4 Comments

One of the most difficult aspects of making money from home is the “from home” part. Although this is appealing to most, writers quickly learn that working from home is no easy task. There are many tips available to help a writer stay focused, but the biggest distraction usually isn’t the food in the kitchen or the soap opera that comes on at noon. The biggest distraction is, of course, the computer. The particularly tricky part of this truth is the idea that writers have to work on the computer. In other words, writers need to somehow figure out a way to be productive on the very thing that causes distraction.

Fortunately, there are many browser extensions that a writer can put in place to help make sure that he/she can be a successful writer without the distractions. Although many writers have made it work without any help, it’s easy for the day to drag on and last twelve hours. The goal for a writer online should be to have a typical eight hour workday, and browser extensions can help.

[Read more…]