Blogged by a Pro

Being a grammar geek, I love getting e-mail forwards like the below. It seems the funniest writing is often funny by accident. But while these kinds of e-mails are great for entertainment, no one wants one of their own Facebook posts, ads or website content – or anything else, for that matter – to end up as part of an e-mail forward or, worse, on a website like www.funnytypos.com. Contrary to popular belief, not all PR is good PR, and having your company take center stage on websites such as this is not a good business move.

Making mistakes in the writing that represents you or your business is embarrassing and can even lead to lost business. If you have mistakes in your company’s materials, people will assume you don’t care, which doesn’t build confidence in potential customers.

So what do you do if you know your writing needs help?

1. Read through Microsoft Word’s suggested changes. While Word can’t always be trusted to make the correct changes, it is often correct. Read through its suggested spelling and grammar changes and see if you agree with what it’s telling you to do.
2. Re-read your work. Sometimes this easy step alone will help you catch most of the mistakes you made initially.
3. Ask a close friend or family member – someone, and this is key, you know knows how to edit properly – to read through your work and make edits.
4. Pay a professional editor to edit your work. If you know that no amount of re-reading will ensure your work is flawless, and if you don’t have any close friends and family members willing to proof your work for you, pay a professional editor to fix your writing for you. Professional editing is a viable option for most people and businesses and should be incorporated into a business’ list of regularly used vendors.

Best of luck in your writing and, in the meantime, enjoy the below!

~Melissa Rothermel serves as partner for Edited by a Pro.

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They're Back! Church Bulletins: Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

1. The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water."  The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."
2. Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.
3. Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
4. The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
5. Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.
6. Don't let worry kill you off let the Church help.
7. Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.
8. For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
9. Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
10. The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing: "Break Forth Into Joy."
11. Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
12. A bean supper will be held on Tuesday evening in the church hall. Music will follow.
13. At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?"  Come early and listen to our choir practice.
14. Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
15. Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
16. Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
17. The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility. Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM prayer and medication to follow.
18. The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
19. This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
20. Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.
21. The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
22. Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
23. The eighth graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
24. Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
25. The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday: "I Upped My Pledge; Up Yours."