The handling of abbreviations can be tricky, especially if you have to use different style guides for different types of writing. Some guidelines only permit abbreviations in tables or reference sections. Other guidelines are more lenient, but their requirements can still differ in significant ways. Here are pointers about a few of those differences. I’llRead more
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What do articles, query letters, pitch letters, press releases, brochures and basically every form of communication all have in common? They all have to “hook” an audience’s attention before imparting a message. I’ve put together four principles along with lists of accompanying tactics that you can use to grab the attention of editors, reporters, prospects,Read more
Of course, I’m not referring to a book-length biography (aka bio). I’m talking about the types that you place in media kits, post on organization websites, etc. Why go to the trouble of creating a bio? Well, journalists, bloggers and the general public want to know about the key people in an organization, and aRead more
The more you write, the more likely you are to find that the English language is a maze of grammar rules and pseudo-rules. In order to help you sort out what’s what, I’ve consulted a few resources for the answers to four of the most common sources of confusion. 1. You Can’t End a SentenceRead more
It’s been said that there are no hard and fast rules for persuasive writing, but that hasn’t prevented writers from creating formulas that cover basic principles and concepts. Although these formulas are usually associated with advertisements, direct mail or direct response, they can be used in speeches, articles, press releases, letters, proposals and more. MostRead more
When I’m blocked at the beginning of a writing project, it’s usually an indication that I need to do a little more research. It can be tempting to just jump into a project without a lot of preparation, especially if your assignment is relatively simple, e.g., a short press release. But your research will influenceRead more
If you manage the editorial process for your organization, sooner or later you’ll discover one of the facts of writing life: everyone has their own ideas about what makes up good grammar or style. If you submit copy to three different people for approval, it may come back with three different alterations. If your staffRead more
“Can you get me on Today or in The Wall Street Journal?” Some variation of that question has probably been asked of every public relations and communications practitioner. In the traditional mass marketing mode, people focus on popular consumer outlets as the place to trawl for prospects, even for business-to-business initiatives. As a result, someRead more
“Avoid unnecessary capitals” is one of the main style and grammar commandments of all the style manuals, but there are three main pitfalls that can lead to inappropriate capitalization and cause a piece to look amateurish. Pitfall #1: Publication and Composition Titles Rules for capitalizing titles can differ depending on the style guide that you’reRead more
About two months ago, I presented the case for keeping the inverted pyramid style as an option for press releases’ lead paragraphs. Of course, the delayed or feature-style lead has its merits. In fact, a 2000 Impact study by the Readership Institute, an organization formed by newspaper publishers and Northwest University’s Media Management Center, foundRead more
My Work
Kellé Campbell is a public relations writer with more than 15 years of experience performing writing, editing, ghostwriting, and research services for clients in a variety of sectors, specializing in technology.