Language is alive and thriving. New words enter our language, whether we like them (and want to use them) or not. Following are some great (and not so great) additions to our language, courtesy of the good people residing in ivory towers (aka universities).

Lake Superior State University released its 37th List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Misuse, Overuse and General Uselessness.  These include pop culture catchphrases (aka E! speak) “baby bump,” “man cave” and “the new normal.”

Hot on its heels, Wayne State University released its fourth list of 10 words it says deserve greater use.

“The English language has more words in its lexicon than any other,” said
Jerry Herron, dean of Wayne State’s Honors College. “By bringing these words
back into conversation, we expand our ability to communicate clearly and
help make our world a more interesting place.” Quod erat demonstrantum.

Curious about WSU’s top 10?

1. Antediluvian: Antiquated; old-fashioned; out of date. (Literally: “before theflood,” referring to the biblical deluge. No not confuse with “après nous, la déluge)
2. Erstwhile: Former; bygone.
3. Execrable: Atrocious; wretched; abominable.
4. Frisson: Thanks to the French, this word meaning that sudden, involuntary shiver felt at times of great emotion.
5. Parlous: Dangerous or risky. It’s a variant of the Middle English word “perilous.”
6. Penultimate: Next to last.
7. Sisyphean: Actually or apparently endless and futile. (After Sisyphus, who was doomed by the gods to roll a stone uphill, only to have it always roll back down).
8. Supercilious: Contemptuous; disdainful; condescending.
9. Transmogrify: To change completely, usually grotesquely, in appearance or form.
10. Truckle: Submit obsequiously; be subservient; kowtow.

1) A legitimate and professional outscoring company will have the inside track to major companies that are hard to reach on your own. Professional outsourcing companies have blanket agreements with major companies such as Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT). Those customers ask for freelancers to do a specified job (e.g., editing a tender, writing a user guide, proofreading software) for a certain amount of hours. The outsourcing company will then contact you and will make a subcontracting agreement with you for the amount of hours and payment.

2) A solid outsourcing company will pay its freelancers within two months after the freelancer finished the job. It is the responsibility of the outsourcing company to collect payment from its clients. That is one of the benefits of working as a subcontractor; you do not need to run after the customer for payment.

3) A professional outsourcing company will pay their freelancers a decent hourly rate. The markup of an outsourcing company is 50%. As a freelancer, you need to take this into account. If an outsourcing company is paying below market rate, it is better to enlist customers directly.

4) If the end customer does not pay, it is the responsibility of the outsourcing company to get the payment (or sue!). The freelancer is no (legal) party in this and can also not be called upon as a witness. The freelancer can sue to outsourcing company though.

5) As a freelancer, you can pick and choose who you work for. You are not an employee, so you have the freedom to stop working for an outsourcing company once they stop paying you.

6) Select the outsourcing company you will be working for carefully. Make sure they are financially stable, pay market rates, and treat their freelancers with respect. An unstable or unprofessional outsourcing company can harm your professional reputation.

7) Ask around about the outsourcing company. How long have they been in the market? What is their track record? Which kind of customers do they have in their customer base? How are they with payments?

As a freelancer, you have the power to say: “pas d’argent, pas de Suisse”   

(Image courtesy of Inkygirl.com) 

In Germanic (e.g., English, German, Dutch) and Nordic (e.g., Swedish, Danish) languages, both written and spoken, are organized in a linear way with an emphasis on being concise.  There is an introduction, the main body of the story, followed by the conclusion.

Romanic (or Romance) languages (e.g., Spanish, French) like to be elegant and interesting.  Detours from the main storyline are expected to build the context and atmosphere. In Asian languages, opinions are not being expressed directly. As a result, there is a lot of circularity.  To avoid potential loss of face, ideas are hinted at or indicate and not presented in a straightforward way. A point of view is only expressed once feedback from other speakers or readers is received.

Translators are very much aware of this. Due to differences in culture and language structure, it is impossible to translate “word-for-word” from one language to another.  A translator must have a solid understanding of this before starting to translate. For example, the Japanese word “hai” is literally translated as “yes.”  For most Westerners, that would be pretty straightforward: “Yes, I understood and agree”.  Japanese however, would understand “Yes, I understand what you are saying” without any further commitment. Even more, r a Japanese would understand “hai” as “Yes, I hear that you are saying something but I don’t understand what you are saying”.

Differences in cultural values result in different preferred methods of speech.  In American English, an individual is assumed to be in control of his or her destiny) the American Dream). As a result, there is a preference for using the “active” tense (e.g., “I wrote the marketing plan”) as opposed to the passive tense (e.g., “The marketing plan was written by me.”). Some US companies such as Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) even have that in their guidelines (e.g., on their partner portals)

Good translators are very much aware of these issues. They will do their research and make sure that their translation is being proofread before submitting it to the client.

Want to know more? Contact Tip Top Writer to learn more about translations.

Idioms are figures of speech that are not be used (when literally translated) in other languages. For example, the notion of “knock it out of the ball park” makes sense in the US, but is not understood in other countries. The noun “serendipity” is also mainly used in the US, and will not be understood by non-Americans.

But information is also transferred in non-verbal communication. In some cultures, people nod to signify “yes” and shake their heads to signify “no;” in other cultures (e.g., Greece, India) this practice is different.

If we look ad neologisms, there is a language issue there as well. Neologisms are terms that have come into language relatively recently as technology or society involved. Computer technology gave birth to the term “spam” and “add-on”. But different countries use different words. A computer is called a “Rechner” in German-speaking countries. A cell phone is called a “mobiel” in Dutch and a “Handy” in German.

Slang exists within almost all languages known to man. Slang does not only vary per region, but also per social group. There are often significant generation gaps in the use of slang (e.g., groovy).

Language is alive and always evolving. It’s one of the most creative tools to express feelings or convey an idea. Every day, new expressions and concepts are being coined (e.g., 9-9-9 tax plan).

Want to know about writing? Contact me at Tip Top Writer.

The classic example of hypercorrection is the use of “you and I” when “you and me” would actually be correct.

The rule, which is drilled into us from early childhood, is never to use the word “me” in the subject of a sentence. A sentence such as: “You and me are friends” is therefore a no-no. Since this rule was so thoroughly hammered into our heads, many of us still feel uncomfortable about using a construction such as “you and me” anywhere in a sentence.

As a result, a proper sentence such as: “The inheritance will be split between you and me” just does not sound good. When someone mistakenly states: “The inheritance will be split between you and I”, he or she is hypercorrecting.

Another well-worn example of hypercorrection is substituting “whom” for “who” in a sentence like “I need to call my wife, who I know is going to be upset.” Since the rules for using “who” and “whom” are rather tricky and unintuitive, most people will opt for the option that sounds most pretentious.

As a general rule of thumb: it is really OK to start a sentence with “but” or “and”.

Furthermore, please feel free to split infinitives. Your English teacher might be upset, but just keep in mind: language is a tool for communication; and not some lofty scientific goal in itself!

Grant writing consists of developing and writing grant proposals. This entails consulting, needs assessments, and brainstorming, followed by setting goals and objectives. You will match project needs with available funding and the process normally involves preparing and writing documents for submission, proofreading, submitting to the funding source and follow-up.

What makes a great grant writer?

Excellent writing skills
Grant writers need not only know how to write, but need to write extremely well. A client’s success in obtaining the grant hinges in large part on the quality of the written proposal. Whether writing for a request of $1,000 for a community activity or a $5 million research project, the grant writer must clearly communicate how the funds will be effectively used to reach a worthwhile goal.

Clear understanding of the project process
A grant writer must convert clients’ ideas and concepts into a workable and concrete program, acting as the bridge between the grant applicant and the grant provider. A grant writer has to put the clients’ concepts into writing and transform them into a project that the funding institution will support. The document must assure the funding institutions that their funds will be put to the best possible uses.

Strong research skills
A grant writer needs to have strong research skills. Part of the work of the grant writer is the identification and selection of appropriate potential donors. Researching grant-making organizations and analyzing them helps to identify potential funding sources for specific projects and programs.

Discipline and organization
A grant writer must be able to keep track of grant application deadlines and follow-up on submitted applications. It is also essential to keep track of trends in the field and be aware of changes in the priorities of funding institutions, as well as new funding sources.

She starts by saying that good writing is not just about substance. It’s often style that is just as important. You might be the most expert of all experts, but nothing will undermine your credibility more than an email/business plan/blog post riddled with errors and typos.

To put your best foot forward and get readers to focus on the substance of your communications, follow these simple tips for improving your writing:

Pick a style, any style. It doesn’t matter if it’s the AP Stylebook, Chicago Manual of Style or The Elements of Style, pick a style and be consistent with it. I promise it will help your writing.

Write Like You Talk. Or, in the words of Paula Abdul, make it your own. After you’re finished writing the article, press release, blog post – whatever – read it out loud. If it sounds stilted, make changes.

Less is More. If you can say something in 10 words instead of 20, do it. That is all.

Use short paragraphs. James Patterson once said his use of short chapters is one of the reasons his books are so successful. You can apply this to your writing with short paragraphs. Long paragraphs make readers think they don’t have enough time to read the entire post.

Use bullet points. For the same reason you should write in short paragraphs – posts with long paragraphs could be daunting for many readers – you should consider using bullet points whenever possible. Not only will it make it easier for you to write (especially if you’re writing for an online outlet, which often means multiple posts each day), but it’s also easier on the reader.

Spllchek. If you wnt pepole to take you serriusly, run a spellchek on whatevr documint you write, wethur a private email or sumthing for publik consumpshion.

Check, and double-check, your facts. If you say your company is the only one making thingamajigs, make sure it’s true – especially because things can go viral so quickly nowadays.

(Source: Maria Perez. To read more from Maria, visit her blog on ProfNet Connect at http://www.profnetconnect.com/profnetmaria/blog/

Following are some tips:

1. Make each email personal.
Decisions makers want to receive an email that is tailored them. Generic emails with a standard offer are ignored. Explain why you send the email in the first place (e.g., following an exhibition or a one-on-one meeting) and describe your offer as a one-time great opportunity especially for them. This is even more important when the decision maker is referred to you and you were therefore not in direct contact yet. Make sure to tie in with the decision maker’s issues, concerns, problems or challenges.

2. Make it legit.
With the current strict regulations concerning unsolicited emails, any email you send as part of an email campaign must have an opt-out. Explain how you got the email details of the decision maker (e.g., after downloading a white paper, registered for receiving you newsletter). Make the opt-out as user-friendly as possible; avoid asking for the reason.

3. Keep it short and to the point.
According to researchers, you have less than 20 seconds to capture the reader’s attention. This means that the first three lines (including header!) are crucial. Once readers lose interest, they will delete your email – forever. If the email is to the point, chances are higher that there will be a follow-up.

4. Make it non-spam and readable in preview.
Decision makers are busy. They have spam filters to avoid their inbox from clogging up. The subject line of your email must explain in a concise way what the email is about. “great offer” and “free trial” are terms that immediately alert spam filters. Decision makers also scan their inbox in preview mode. The first paragraph of your email must entice the reader to open the email and read it in full.

5. Talk to your reader.
You want the reader to be in touch with you. This can be asking a question, a request for more information, downloading a white paper, an invitation for webinar or subscribing to your newsletter.

(Image courtesy of paythetroops.org)

Proposals come in many sizes and shapes, depending on the organization that asks for one. In some cases, it is better to avoid a formal proposal and opt for sending a letter outlining the products and services to be offered.

 Following are some tips for writing a professional proposal.

Create a powerful, but concise executive  summary

In many cases, the customer just wants to see a short overview of deliverables with prices.

Focus on results

Customers are far more interested in the deliverables than in methodologies or processes. Quite bluntly, they just want the job to be done; how it is done is of secondary importance.

Showcase ideas

Customers want to cooperate with a business partner they can trust. To show that you are not only on the same wavelength, but also want to be their partner, share ideas that can help them.

Make sure it has quality

As in many cases, it is the quality, not the quantity that counts. Limit the amount of pages, and make sure the proposal is about the customer. Focus on how you are going to solve the customer’s problems.

Be careful with jargon

Terms such as “best practices”, “outstanding practices”, innovative solutions”, “and
out-of-the-box thinking”,”top-notch and best-of-breed” are overused and are
considered to be marketing hype. Try to use clear language and simple terms; it
will avoid misunderstandings and future complications.

Make sure its accurate

The proposal must be accurate, so make sure to validate and double-check all data before presenting it. Check every small proposal detail and watch for typos and style mistakes.

Delivering your proposal

Make sure that the right people receive the proposal on time. You can submit it by email or hand it over in person. The latter guarantees you a higher change of closing the deal.

(Image courtesy of Geldlening Offerte)

Since technical writing has become essential part of today’s business and government, jobs can be found in almost any industry sector.  The demand for technical writers is expected to grow, since enterprises need to communicate existing and new scientific and technical information to others.

Many technical writers prefer to specialize in a specific industry such as telecommunications, computers, bio-tech, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, health care, or manufacturing. This way, they can build expertise in e.g., software documentation, tutorials, white papers, or user guides.

Technical writing is as diverse and there is an overlap with marketing writing. Product instructions, reference and maintenance manuals, articles, project proposals, training materials, technical reports, catalogs, brochures, online documentation and help systems, Web pages, multimedia presentations, parts lists, assembly instructions, white papers, sales promotion materials, tenders, RFI and RFP, and tech blogs require the skills of technical writers.

Technical writers enable enterprises to tell their users how to use their products and services. Those users can be consumers, system integrators, resellers, scientists, engineers, plant executives, line workers, production managers, but also product reviewers, tech journalists, and tech bloggers.

Technical writing is different from marketing writing. Technical writing describes the current situation; marketing writing also covers what will be. The writing style between the two is therefore very different. Good technical writing is concise and easy-to-read. In many cases, technical writers are also expected to deal with the graphics, layout, and document design.

Thinking of becoming a technical writer? Then look for a technical writing course near you. It normally also includes an internship to get hands-on working experience.

(Cartoon courtesy of Scott Adams)