Here's a little reminiscence I wrote in the aftermath of the Halloween snowstorm three years ago--about technology and what it does to us as humans. November 2, 2011. Finally the storm was over, and the lights came on in some Easthampton businesses. I was sitting in Shelburne Falls Coffee with a large hazelnut, savoring the ecstasy of my first hot drink in days and the soothing sound of voices murmuring and orders being placed, as other locals slowly found their way to electricity heaven. The other sound I slowly became aware of was the soft, ambient tapping of computer keys. Everywhere around me, people were engrossed in catching up on their email, reading their Facebook pages and working on their first assignments of the day, their Everything Bagels with Cream Cheese slowly languishing untouched beside them. The whispered conversation between an older couple and the young folks sitting at the table next to them was not, “What a horrible experience we just went through with that … [Read more...]
Livin’ Large at the Library
When’s the last time you went to your local library? Do you know what they can do for you? Some years ago, I almost cried when I read about the possible closing of many of the Boston Public Library branches due to shortage of funding. Thank goodness it did not come to pass. Brian McGrory, one of my favorite Boston Globe writers, captured my feelings perfectly in his article, Treasure Islands at Risk . After you read Brian’s article, do you still say to yourself, “Who cares?” Well, I care. Let me tell you why. As someone who’s experienced my own funding shortage, I have and continue to use my local libraries for my pleasure reading and for work. I love the homey feel of each small library, the smell of polished wood and aging books, and the idiosyncracies of each employee, many of who became my friends over time. There’s nothing quite like having someone look up from what she is doing and smile when I come in the door, ask what she can do to help me—and it’s not home, where my … [Read more...]
WWW.WhatTheHeck? On Good Web Copy
Have you looked at your business website lately? Maybe you’d better. As a matter of fact, pull it up right now and look at it as you read this. How well does your web copy communicate what you want it to say? As Dr. Phil would say, “How’s it working for ya?” What I do often is write web copy for my clients. Web copy is different from the copy you’ll see in other types of marketing vehicles. We web surfers, well, we just don’t have the time to read a full sentence. So, you have only a few seconds to grab people’s attention and make your case, before they go on to the next site. Readers will ditch your site right away if they are: bored by your presentation confused by what you are trying to say overwhelmed by all the stuff you throw at them can't easily find what they are looking for So, make sure your site is written for your customers, not for your own entertainment. Here are some quick tips, supported by my gurus in web content like Robert W. … [Read more...]
Singin’ the Email Blues
Please allow me a few moments to rant about proper email usage. I have written in the past about it, but apparently nobody read my emails. I have burrowed into my (admittedly disorganized, non-foldered) email list in the past to try to find a particular one, only to see that it didn't have a subject line, which is why I couldn't find it, or it didn't have the person's current phone number on it, so I have to go elsewhere to find her, and then I find that another email didn't answer all of my questions, so I have to email her again. Not that I haven't been guilty of hitting the "send" button too soon, before double-checking that the attachment was there. At least it doesn't happen as often now as it did when I first started sending them as attachments 25 years ago. (Oops, did I just tell you my age? Please disregard.) Val Nelson is a good writer, a good coach and a good mentor from one of my networking groups. Take her "E-tiquette Quiz" on email usage and tell me how you do. … [Read more...]
Proofreading—Feel the Pain
If you are a business owner, you write every day. Emails, notes, newsletters, articles, blog posts, Facebook updates, you name it, you’ve gotta write it. And as far as writing correctly, you either chew your nails over “its” versus “it’s,” or you don’t—you write what you think is right and hope the reader will forgive you if it isn’t. You might think that it’s easy as an editor to proof my own stuff, but no. It’s even more painful, because I check everything I write thoroughly and still make mistakes. I’m here to tell you, though, how important it is to make sure everything you write is as accurate as possible, because it all reflects on you as a business person and professional. I have seen much in my years of editing for businesses. Believe it or not, I have seen people misspell their own company name--which to an editor is like fingernails on a chalkboard! So here’s my advice. Don’t trust that computer program. Forget spell check and grammar check; you won’t like it when … [Read more...]
Home Offices Are for Wimps—Not!
Ah, the joys of a home-based business. Not having to change out of your jammies to begin writing. Being able to just leave to do an errand whenever you want. Roz Chast’s cartoon in the 12/6/10 New Yorker, called “The Freelance Life”, uses the punch line “Honey, I’m STILL HOME!” Great life, huh . . . oh, really? I’ve worked from a home office for over 20 years. It’s not for the faint-hearted. Witness the bored cat who takes a leisurely stroll over your computer keys; the unfinished projects lying around the house that call out faintly to be completed; the realization that you’ve just spent the last seven hours tapping away without a break. It’s a challenge even for the most self-disciplined among us to work at home successfully. So, I offer a few tips for those of you who are in my situation and haven’t been doing this for your whole lives yet. Change out of your jammies. Pretend you are really going to work. I’ve found that if I don’t put on at least my lined jeans, … [Read more...]
Editors Can’t Get No Respect
It’s unbelievable the things people say to you when they find out you’re an editor. “Oh, really,” and she walks away before she can make a grammatical error in her next sentence. Or, “Here’s a copy of my newsletter for you to read, as long as you promise not to EDIT it,” he writes. And, here’s the really passive-aggressive response—a warm welcome from a member of an online group I once joined: “Great, you can be our critic! (only kidding)” It all makes me feel lonely, depersonalized and unappreciated. Guys, I’m really not that bad. And I really like people. I think of them as flesh and blood, not a just a bundle of words and thoughts that must be placed into some kind of order. I don’t care how you speak, or how badly you write. I’ll still listen intently to what you have to say, and read your writing with great interest. And I’ll gladly provide suggestions, but only when I’m invited to do so— and preferably for money. So, please think of this, the next time you meet an … [Read more...]
Fran’s Blog: Free Association
Hello! I'm Fran Fahey. Welcome to my blog, "Free Association." I find that occasionally, I want to share ideas with other small business folks and resume clients that I find interesting. As a copywriter and editor, I hope my words will have some practical use once they are floating out there in the ether. If not, maybe you'll just read them for light entertainment or to get to sleep at night. Either way, I look forward to hearing from you. Best wishes and happy reading. © 2014 Fran Fahey www.fransfineediting.com … [Read more...]