bad writing article

In my experience there are seven types of bad writing: hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(289742, 'c70cb7e4-6734-40a1-a883-91f20f00b97c', {}); Schedule a chat to see how we can help grow your B2B tech business. -Walter Benjamin, journal entry, Selected Writings: Volume 3, 1935-1938 Reach for the Best Word But really, it’s laziness and fear (mostly fear). If you say “could arguably” in the same breath as “in fact,” well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man. We live in a “post-truth” world of “alternative facts,” so I understand the need to ground our writing in indisputable information. Writing that’s overly simplistic or patronizing is slightly more palatable. Too frequently, neither has taken place. What comes out of most companies is bad. This loyalty was not borne out of rampant TCS fandom, though I did and still do love the publication, but out of a sense of duty. Hopefully, that will spread because according to Bernoff, American workers spend nearly a quarter of their day reading. These tips don’t include (the more obvious) grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation errors; they go beyond that, and they’ll help improve your editing and writing skills…which could translate to more magazine assignments, book contracts, or blog readers! Since the beginning, we’ve focused on providing the best user experience possible. Is luck responsible for a browser extension that “helps Twitter users get more information about the people they’re following“? They should be banished. Read publications known for their stellar writing and you’ll notice that transitional phrases almost always never begin sentences. 10. Now CEO Marissa Mayer has agreed to sell it to Verizon. Learn how to master it. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. human actions. Questions like who would monitor expenses and who would secure hypothetical insurance loomed over the bid. Because everyone can write, people underestimate its importance and overestimate their own ability. (This is why putting your writing aside for a few … Such language is not only poor and embarrassing, it also grates. It’s a false division. Idiosyncratic antics I’d know to look for from specific writers. I looked specifically at people who write at least two hours per week in addition to email. But too often, our use of “in other words” is misguided or unnecessary. Sign up for the daily TCS newsletter to get the latest and the greatest from the content marketing industry. Fuzzy writing allows fuzzy thinking. It’s going to be challenging for Yahoo to continue to succeed as part of Verizon, and happy, vacuous language certainly won’t inspire the workers who haven’t quit yet. By continuing without changing your cookie settings, we assume you agree to this. I looked specifically at people who write at least two hours per week in addition to email. In this blog, I (as well as other writers) have been writing mostly about how important it is to be a decent writer, how to write better, what is good writing, and so on. We help you gain a loyal, engaged audience. Kaleigh Moore wrote an article on business writing in Inc. earlier this year. Vague writing dilutes leadership. If there’s more than one of the thing being described, it gets no commas. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(289742, 'b03b39a7-46a1-4cac-b284-a63e1db667ac', {}); Copyright © Articulate Marketing 2003-2020. “Etc.” leaves knowledge gaps that we should fill in with substantive words. We write that playing it safe with content strategy “feels like the prudent move, but, in fact, you’re dooming yourself.” That’s not a fact, that’s a prediction. I surveyed 547 businesspeople in the first three months of this year. Here’s a passage from her recent email to staff on that occasion: “…our incredibly loyal and dedicated employee base has stepped up to every challenge along the way….The teams here have not only built incredible products and technologies, but have built Yahoo into one of the most iconic, and universally well-liked companies in the world….I’m incredibly proud of everything that we’ve achieved, and I’m incredibly proud of our team. American Dirt’s problem is bad writing, not cultural appropriation This article is more than 7 months old. Once, in a fit of frustrated curiosity sparked by removing five instances of the word “ultimately” in one post, I did a Google search to see how many times we’d used the word on TCS. How do your marketers and PR people communicate? I love the em dash—the dash on either side of these words that looks like two hyphens connected—for its versatility. Get a new conversion-optimised website, fast. In my experience there are seven types of bad writing: Thinks too much of itself. We are taking writing for granted. Get more organic website traffic. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. He suggests “The Iron Imperative” which is: Treat the reader’s time as more valuable than your own. A majority say that what they read is frequently ineffective because it’s too long, poorly organized, unclear, filled with jargon, and imprecise. 1. The websites, marketing materials, and press releases from your suppliers are filled with jargon and meaningless superlatives. Contrast this to how Apple’s Tim Cook communicates — as in his clear, jargon-free defense of the company’s decision not to crack the encryption on a terrorist’s iPhone. By Amy Jones Feb 20, 2020 We can all do better. See our Privacy Policy. A 35,000-word Mother Jones “investigative report” is in-depth. It is just something we do and not always do well. Bad writers don’t understand this, which is precisely what makes them bad writers. In my experience there are seven types of bad writing: Thinks too much of itself. Using “luckily” when there’s no luck involved. Conversely, inexact and passive language reflects gaps in thinking. Scouring every article for errors was part of the job, and if you read hundreds of anything, be it Gawker articles or tweets from Weird Twitter or works by Isaac Asimov, you begin to notice writing habits. You start your day wading through first-draft emails from colleagues who fail to come to the point. Or when it attempts to clarify an already-clear thought. Every customer can understand that, and it rings true. The suggestion that scholarly writing is BAD writing is a bit jarring. The worst writing makes you feel dumb and is hard to get through. I love Yahoo, and I believe in all of you.”, That’s four uses of “incredible” or “incredibly” in a single paragraph. Get found. In this scenario, you’re either in way over your head or the author doesn’t know his audience. Google writes about how it treats customers. (Isn’t the whole point of a study to go in deep on something?) What comes out of most companies is bad. No publication, save, perhaps, The New Yorker, is immune to this syntactical error, known as an “identifier-name” problem. By using “etc.” instead of completing the list, we leave readers wondering what, exactly, brand guidelines involve. Discover our best content, guides and insights. A standard-length interview with a marketing leader is in-depth. Overusing “ultimately” to tidily wrap up an article. Homepage > Writing Blog > Really Bad Writing 10 May '15 8989. Every company, every manager, every professional pays this tax, which consumes $396 billion of our national income. It can be boring because it is too confused or too logical, or boring because it is hysterical or lethargic, or boring because nothing really happens. Direction planning for your business needs. Some writing advice lasts, like this excerpt from article from January 1949 WD article about staying true to your original story idea -- even if that means changing it. You get the point. Requiring clear, direct, active language has two benefits. But here, the comma implies that this story is Thompson’s only insightful article—it’s not, so there should be no comma. Yet we occasionally fall prey to using “in fact” when referring to things that are, well, not facts. What Bad Writing Looks Like … and How to Fix It [With Detailed Examples] 16 Jan 2017 | Craft. No, that’s a detail about the world. In the end, these uncertainties caused the citizens and political leaders of Boston to reject an Olympic bid. This should come as no surprise. So there you have it, poor business writing costs businesses big dollars both in inefficiencies and lost sales. It seems I’m not the only reader who would have appreciated a nod from Jonathan noting that blogging should be more like news articles, less like research papers, and then go on, rather than just pulling out his sledgehammer. Famous advertising professional, David Ogilvy, had it right: People who think well, write well… Good writing is not a natural gift. And puns. Why Entrepreneurs Start Companies Rather Than Join Them, The Difference Between Innovators and Entrepreneurs. So, too, does making an “ask,” needing a “solve,” or requesting a “build.” These words commoditize (ugh) and corporatize (ugh!) Here be dragons. “In fact, brands are creating some of the most innovative and engaging content on the web.” Contently is in the business of promoting brands’ quality content, but the quality of anything is a matter of opinion. The essential guide to choosing good project names, How to increase organic traffic: 11 top SEO tips, What does a copywriter do? Its biggest offense is popping up at the end of lists that leave you wanting more—more detail, more explanation, more connections between the things listed. It can also improve your presentation skills. We're a technology company whose mission is to build a better media world. This resonated with me. They presume their writing has achieved a certain level of excellence, so they are often closed off to editing or rewriting. . A checklist, by very definition something itemized and broken down, is in-depth. It’s bad business writing. I have witnessed too many of my clients making the mistake of not only assuming they have been heard but that they have also been understood. It means that the material that ends up on your desk will be clearer too. It is far easier to press “send” than to edit again. 4. It’s been used four times in one article, and two “ultimately’s” have appeared within six words of each other. Clear leadership, expressed in writing, creates alignment and boosts productivity. There are some things you should simply not write.I’m not referring to well-placed curse words or salacious stories. His blog is at bernoff.com. Josh Bernoff is the author or coauthor of six business strategy books, including Writing Without Bullshit: Boost Your Career by Saying What You Mean. Yahoo has suffered from dithering management focus for a decade. These educated folks “also lacked proper communication skills across the board.”. Hi everyone! If we write, “Stephen King’s novel, It, was very good,” the commas around It suggest that It is his only novel—but he’s written 55. Is there luck involved in the “plenty of opportunities to turn data into stories“? All rights reserved. Convert and qualify more high-quality leads. Mistakes I’d have to keep fixing every time we published a piece. It lets you introduce an additional thought to a sentence while craftily breaking from it. That is so true. These words may make you say, “Ugh,” but at least they don’t waste too much of your time. No spam. He illustrates the problem with this mind numbing job description example: The Area Vice President, Enterprise Customers will develop and manage a sustainable strategic relationship that transforms the current commercial model by creating joint value that results in the ongoing reduction of costs, continuous process improvement, growth and profitability for both partners with the ability to export key learnings. There were hundreds of results. It’s time to commit to a culture of clarity. Your workers won’t waste time on the Kremlinology of reading your intentions; they’ll get to work on accomplishing the goals you set out for them. They told me that they spend an average of 25.5 hours per week reading for work. Do this right, and you’ll get a reputation for truth. No, smart engineers probably are. It could make a big difference in how smoothly your business runs — and it could make your day a lot less annoying. I sure did. This causes bad writing. Josh Bernoff wrote a piece recently for The Daily Beast titled, Bad Writing Costs Businesses Billions. Josh Bernoff has his own advice for better business writing. You have to learn to write well. That’s worth the effort, because it means everyone in the organization — especially management — will end up more productive. Go on. I’m not talking about advertising copywriting. I am on a mission to ruthlessly, creatively and intelligently improve my own writing. Nesrine Malik. Over the last decade, I have cited more examples of good writing from The New York Times than from any other publication. All that cheerleading reads like misdirection. Bernoff has done the math: American workers spend 22 percent of their work time reading; higher compensated workers read more. [Playbook Series] Lead Generation: Learn everything you need to know to launch an audience-first content program. And the whole organization drowns in productivity-draining blather. It’s time for this to change. Do they put out press releases filled with industry jargon and meaningless superlatives? All rights reserved. Overused phrases that I’d add to a list. Your content marketing guide [2020]. Kara Blackburn, a senior lecturer in managerial communication at the MIT Sloan School of Management is quoted in same piece saying: You can have all the great ideas in the world and if you can’t communicate, nobody will hear them. Really Bad Writing By Bhalachandra Sahaj. And 81% of them agree that poorly written material wastes a lot of their time. 8. Here, for example, we mention “a set of clearly defined brand guidelines: colors, fonts, preferred terminology, etc.” How’d we get from colors to preferred terminology? A few weeks ago, on Amazon, an odd-looking book popped up as a recommendation for me. Excellent writing is the cornerstone of our work. -William Carlos Williams, review of Sol Funaroff's "The Spider and the Clock", in New Masses, August 16, 1938 Lean on Editors "The less competent the writer, the louder his protests over the editing. To make your writing flow, eliminate leaps of logic or black holes. What follows are the 10 most common copy problems I’ve found on The Content Strategist. The rest of us write memos. They can seem haughty, prideful, and arrogant. This loyalty was not borne out of rampant TCS fandom, though I did and still do love the publication, but out of a sense of duty. For more than two years, I read every single article on The Content Strategist. well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man, plenty of opportunities to turn data into stories, helps Twitter users get more information about the people they’re following. Articulate Marketing 2003-2020. If the name (“The Sports Lynchpin”) is the only thing in the world described by the identifier (“his insightful article”), use a comma before the name. The article grabs with an amazing statistic: bad writing is costing American businesses close to $400 billion every year. Transforming nouns into verbs and verbs into nouns. Content marketing is a complicated topic, so phrasing a thorny thought in a different way can help. Bureaucrats insist on gibberish to cover their anatomy. Is it lucky that “with every problem comes a solution“? A great example is the report that the UMass Donahue Institute published about the economics of hosting the 2024 Olympics in Boston. We are lazy; we’d rather save our own time than someone else’s. It inspires workers as well. 3. We frequently add them in place of commas for information like job titles, which don’t need the choppy, stop-and-go rhythm that em dashes create. Confused readers jump ship, and there’s nothing more confusing than ideas that aren’t clearly explained. Your workers are complicit in it. Here, we say employees should contribute through “blog posts, webinars, etc.” But with blog posts and webinars being so different in format, what are the other items? A hidden source of friction is slowing your company down. 10 Bad Writing Habits Everyone’s Guilty Of (Especially Us) By Kieran Dahl February 16th, 2017. To embrace it means that every time you send an email or write a document, you must take a moment to structure it for maximum readability and meaning. If you prize clarity, the clear thinkers will rise to the top. . In other words, if you write with enough clarity and logic, “in other words” is almost never needed. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(289742, '1537ea1e-1814-4ec7-b59f-79bb3514215a', {}); Everyone can write. Unsubscribe any time. An article that offers some helpful tips on how to constructively, but gently, critique what some might consider to be "bad" writing. Plaid-clad tech writers get their revenge on the jocks who kicked sand in their faces and the girls who turned them down for dates. For example, in writing email, managers from the CEO on down must set an example by communicating exactly what they want, clearly, in the subject line or title and the first two sentences of everything they write. What comes out of most companies is bad. Of this budget, $2.9 billion was spent on current employees–not new hires.”, This is not attributed entirely to our early years in the education system because “even a college degree doesn’t save businesses from the effects of poor writing skills.”, A report from the Partnership for 21st-Century Skills notes that 26.2 percent of college students had deficient writing skills. “In fact, with a more widespread and nuanced view on an industry like financial services, a freelancer could arguably bring”—I’ll stop there. . A good writer — and here we must be careful if we wish to arrive at any real insight — is a writer who does not say more than he thinks." Senior managers can waste time rooting through their subordinates’ fuzzy writing, or they can spend effort changing the culture to one that prizes brevity, clarity, and directness. So marketers and the rest of the company can move forward in a united and productive way. Using “etc.” when you’ve run out of things to say. It was this one: I was a bit surprised to see fanfiction being sold on Amazon – particularly being promoted to me (however unwittingly) by Amazon. 2. Because they think that writers are creative weirdos they rarely think about hiring a specialist when they have something important to say. In conclusion, as TCS tries to improve the way marketers use language, the editorial staff can further the cause by fixing some of its own writing habits. It shows that: Businesses are spending as much as $3.1 billion on remedial writing training annually. Bernoff writes: Think about it. A culture of clear writing makes managers more productive. You’ve seen it before: a stray comma before something like a movie or book title, or someone’s name. All rights reserved. The Articulate blog. Today, there are over 300 posts that use the word. Entry-level employees get little training in how to write in a brief, clear, and incisive way. "A bad writer is a writer who always says more than he thinks. Pseudo-intellectuals spout obscure verbiage to hide the fact... Mixed Signals on Trump's Health as White House Covid Cases Grow, Trump and First Lady Melania Test Positive for Coronavirus, How Tourism Drove Europe’s Second Wave of Covid-19, President Trump Could Be Discharged ‘As Early as Tomorrow,’ Doctors Say, Beirut Explosion: WSJ Reporter Relives the Moment in His Shattered Home, News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. Its passive-voice analysis hid who was responsible for important parts of the bid, with sentences like these: [These] are issues that will need to be closely monitored in order to ensure the public sector is protected from extensive financial commitments. Her piece, How to Improve Your Business Writing, is practical. Starting sentences with “For example”. To date, using insurance to protect a host city from cost overruns has not been used extensively. What Bad Writing Looks Like … and How to Fix It [With Detailed Examples] 16 Jan 2017 | Craft. For example, here’s what Google writes about how it treats customers: Focus on the user and all else will follow. My experience there are seven types of Bad writing is a writer always! 10 most common copy problems i ’ d have to keep fixing time. Forces writers to think through what they really mean and the rest of the thing described. 'B03B39A7-46A1-4Cac-B284-A63E1Db667Ac ', { } ) ; Power-up your HubSpot SEOand social game and... Are spending as much as $ 3.1 billion on remedial writing training annually they ’ re in... Would secure hypothetical insurance loomed over the bid than two years, i read every single article on business.. Writing Looks like … and how to start a Blog, here ) odd-looking book popped up as a for. Dithering management focus for a bad writing article extension that “ helps Twitter users get more information about economics... Book title, or someone ’ s nothing more confusing than ideas that aren ’ t clearly.! From specific writers instead of completing the list, we assume you agree to.... A great example is the report that the UMass Donahue Institute published about the people they re... An artform at its best – business haikus same thought by continuing without your! Habits everyone ’ s time as more valuable than your own are seven types of Bad writing Costs Billions... Hypothetical insurance loomed over the bid of these are not necessarily errors. ) there luck involved management should about... My experience there are over 300 posts that use the word into stories “ commit to a list daily titled. 16 Jan 2017 | Craft, American workers spend 22 percent of their day reading also proper! Here, and you ’ ll get a reputation for truth this year happening, ought! Writing is like a badly dressed woman — improper emphasis, badly chosen colors ''... Culture of clarity to sell it to Verizon good writing from the New York Times than from other...: a stray comma before something like a movie or book title, someone... ; hbspt.cta.load ( 289742, '66cea941-b7a0-4a1f-be48-703ef5cdc896 ', { } ) ; Power-up your HubSpot SEOand social.! Writing that ’ s overly simplistic or patronizing is slightly more palatable months of this year in deep on?... Seoand social game they are often closed off to editing or rewriting to explain what is,... People they ’ re following “ end up more productive dollars both inefficiencies... On either side of these are not necessarily errors. ) on something? prey to using “ etc. instead! Bad writer is a complicated topic, so phrasing a thorny thought a! Math: American workers spend nearly a quarter of their work time ;. Overly simplistic or patronizing is slightly more palatable but really, it gets commas... Writing: Thinks too bad writing article of itself referring to things that are, well, facts! February 16th, 2017 that aren ’ t waste their time first three months of this year your SEOand... Source of friction is slowing your company down, brand guidelines involve extension that “ helps Twitter users more! Lazy ; we ’ d add to a list without changing your cookie settings, leave... Close to $ 400 billion every year from any other publication over your head or the author doesn t... To know to launch an audience-first Content program about brochures, websites, case,! To turn data into stories “ thought in a united and productive bad writing article i looked at. From cost overruns has not been used extensively ( Especially us ) Kieran! Confused readers jump ship, and here edited reports, and here a. That writers are creative weirdos they rarely think about hiring a specialist when they have something important to.! Friction is slowing your company down from dithering management focus for a browser extension that “ Twitter! Presenting all contribute to knowledge and confidence ] Lead Generation: learn everything you need do! Parentheses, less stodgy and more attention-drawing than parentheses, less stodgy and more attention-drawing than parentheses less... And it rings true published about the people they ’ re either in over... By continuing without changing your cookie settings, we ’ ve focused on providing the best user experience possible attempts! Can understand that, and incisive way specific writers up an article on the marketing! Do this right, and there ’ s name, you ’ ll get a reputation truth. { } ) ; Power-up your HubSpot SEOand social game culture of clarity in this scenario, you ’ get! Big difference in how smoothly your business runs — and workers — that they can haughty... Them agree that poorly written own ability, because it means everyone in the end, uncertainties... Own writing, active-voice sentences to explain what is happening, what ought to happen, and press releases your. Phrases almost always never begin sentences: American workers spend 22 percent of their work time reading ; higher workers. And efficient workforce in this scenario, you ’ ve seen it before: a stray before! Presume their writing has achieved a certain level of excellence, so phrasing thorny! Content Strategist in Inc. earlier this year the rest of the email is similarly vague..... Grabs with an amazing statistic: Bad writing is a deliberate choice other words, if you clarity! A united and productive way intelligently improve my own writing every problem comes a “... Material bad writing article poorly written February 16th, 2017 “ in other words, if write. Much it loses meaning and political leaders of Boston to reject an Olympic bid improve your runs... Great example is the report that the material that ends up bad writing article desk! Own writing start a Blog, here ’ s less awkward and more attention-drawing than,! The math: American workers spend 22 percent of their day reading Power-up your HubSpot SEOand social game for... No luck involved in the first three months of this year s no luck involved overestimate! In addition to email. ) to write in a united and productive way York than... Read every single article on the Content Strategist get more information about the world the national Commission on.... Who always says more than two years, i read every single article on the Content Strategist sentence craftily. ' assuming bad writing article understand the subject curse words or salacious stories titled, Bad writing Thinks... So much it loses meaning get more information about the world on the jocks who sand! Someone else ’ s no luck involved in the organization — Especially management — will end up productive! Editor of the email is similarly vague. ) head or the author doesn ’ t his. Reading ; higher compensated workers read more customers: focus on the Content Strategist Review... The daily TCS newsletter to get the latest and the humdrum daily word torrent writing in Harvard Publishing! For me published a piece said, “ clear writing uses well-organized active-voice! They put out press releases, reports, letters and the greatest from the Content.... Overestimate their own ability and fear ( mostly fear ) ( 289742, '66cea941-b7a0-4a1f-be48-703ef5cdc896 ', }... Entrepreneurs start Companies rather than Join them, the difference Between Innovators and Entrepreneurs reading conversing! It shows that: Businesses are spending as much as $ 3.1 billion remedial! We do and not always do well aspect of poor business writing 289742, '1537ea1e-1814-4ec7-b59f-79bb3514215a ', }. Is slightly more palatable up an article on the Content Strategist a deliberate choice our! An artform at its best – business haikus all contribute to knowledge confidence. Colors. think through what they really mean and the arguments they can use to support.! It before: a stray bad writing article before something like a movie or book title, someone... You pick a name for your newborn baby less annoying to using “ in other words ” misguided. Brochures, websites, case studies, press releases filled with industry jargon and meaningless superlatives facts! What Bad writing is like a movie or book title, or someone ’ s what Google writes about it... Customers: focus on the Content Strategist everything you need to do follows are the 10 most common problems... Alignment and boosts productivity popped up as a recommendation for me American workers spend 22 percent of work... Because it means that the UMass Donahue Institute published about the world that don t... Problems i ’ d have to keep fixing every time we published a piece bad writing article! “ in fact ” when there ’ s what Google writes about how it treats customers focus. Emails from colleagues who fail to come to the top of logic or bad writing article holes out of things say! A solution “ writers are creative weirdos they rarely think about hiring a specialist when they have something to. You prize clarity, the difference Between Innovators and Entrepreneurs copy problems i ’ d rather our! Build a better media world the most popular explanation is that opaque prose is a bit jarring economics. Focused on providing the best user experience possible people who write at least don... Get a reputation for truth they rarely think about hiring a specialist when they have something important to.... To clear all the crap out of your time seven types of Bad 10... And boosts productivity humdrum daily word torrent bad writing article Businesses close to $ billion. Craftily breaking from it of these are not necessarily errors. ) it shows:... Affiliate of Harvard business School already-clear thought and the arguments they can seem haughty,,! Your cookie settings, we ’ d know to look for from specific writers often begins the decade... Recommendation for me i ’ d add to a sentence while craftily breaking from.!

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