Marlane Kayfes

11/24/2021

When writing for business, do you use commas willy-nilly? Well, commas can cost - money and even life!

I'd heard about the 2018 $5 million dairy company case but not all the other cases that this article lists - including a hanging for treason.

For most people, a stray comma isn’t the end of the world. But in some cases, the exact placement of a punctuation mark can cost huge sums of money.

04/21/2021

Discussions of diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) councils or committees are trending. Forbes wrote about them (see link). An internet search showed that many universities have them. And Washington State has such a council. I worked on one proposal to Washington State that required respondents to explain how they will comply with the state's DEI program.

I wonder who else has encountered formalized DEI programs, either through employers or through requests for proposals.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2021/04/14/whats-to-come-in-2021-for-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-workplace/?sh=782e84f37f26

In 2020, many companies were forced to reckon with their practices in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion. Much progress has been made, but there is much more work to do when it comes to DEI.

04/14/2021

Ramadan Kareem to our Muslim friends.

04/14/2021

Will you submit an abstract to the December 2021 UTA Oil & Gas Conference in Houston, Texas? The deadline is June 1, 2021.

Give all of your abstracts, papers, and presentations extra polish with an unbiased editorial review to ensure:
+ compliance with guidelines,
+ cohesion,
+ accurate grammar and style,
+ greater chance of acceptance, and
+ enhancement of your professional reputation.

Up your game! Contact me to apply my 20+ years of experience toward an editorial review of your written communications: [email protected].



https://web.cvent.com/event/026fff5e-30a0-47af-bed6-32487a092a4a/websitePage:6229412f-b350-4c6f-b695-067f3ebc097f?rt=NR4KMwTQrEC83OCoRg_TJA

12/12/2020

Proponents of eliminating the word "that" from writing are growing. One client asked me to search for and delete all instances of "that" without any consideration to context or readability. But let's not get hasty.

Case in point: "The large covered jar collectors know of today has no handles...."

I'm a collector and upon first reading, I thought the subject was "collectors of jars," and the sentence made no sense. But with a second reading, I realized the subject is "jar" that is "The large covered jar THAT collectors know of today...."

Although readers can figure it out, why make them work for it? The spoken word is one thing. It's extemporaneous, usually casual, and interactive - your listener can ask questions. But when writing, we have, and should take, the time to proofread and edit - to clarify those "hiccups" that your reader can figure out but shouldn't have to. Sometimes it's the little, unnoticed things that make the greatest impact.
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If you need an objective editorial review of your document(s), contact me: [email protected]

12/12/2020

At the start of each writing project, I create an editing checklist - a living document that is updated regularly and used as part of a final edit. The checklist might apply to a single document or to a suite of documents. This article, "Simple Words, Easy Fixes," includes words to check that will be in my future checklists.

https://winningthebusiness.com/simple-words-easy-fixes/?fbclid=IwAR2YgMPEmLfrKxwio1eORaA0w725wL0o7ENg27o-9t91NDYgQzmY4rFl8gs

Simple Words, Easy Fixes Quick Tricks to Make a Stronger Proposal Laura Yribia | Published 8:00 am September 22nd, 2020 remove_red_eye1063 views comment0 comments You probably have one. A list of simple but easy-to-miss editing issues you look for before producing a final proposal document. And I’...

10/12/2020

Editing must be foremost on my mind these days, judging by my last couple of posts. But it's important. The writing process includes your initial draft, revising, editing, and proofreading. The University of Toronto Engineering Communication Program explains each step https://ecp.engineering.utoronto.ca/resources/online-handbook/the-writing-process/revising-editing-and-proofreading/
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Contact me for assistance with your written communications: [email protected]

09/30/2020

This is what professional editors do - advocate for readers and users of written communications. We work to verify and improve clarity* in order to enhance understanding and usability. In some circumstances (e.g., procedures) this effort and result sustains safety.


* Rathjens, D. The seven components of clarity in technical writing. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6448848
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Contact Marlane to consult on your written communication needs and to edit for clarity: [email protected].

09/28/2020

Checklists are "a good thing." This article provides guidelines for writing clear and compliant specifications in the oil and gas industry. However, this practical advice can easily apply to any industry. You can even download a free pdf version to save in your Writing Resources file for future reference.
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Contact Marlane at En Pointe Communications for consultation on your writing or editing needs: [email protected]

We’ve taken the most essential points from expert research in oil and energy industries and identified the key factors when it comes to writing standards and requirements processes for oil and gas projects. Take these guidelines and this checklist and save time and headache in your future writing ...

09/23/2020

As this article posits, word choices can affect whether your proposals are successful at winning business. Thank you to the Association of Proposal Management Professionals for these helpful tips.

For writing or editing assistance with your proposals or other business communications, contact En Pointe Communications, [email protected].

Simple Words, Easy Fixes Quick Tricks to Make a Stronger Proposal Laura Yribia | Published 8:00 am September 22nd, 2020 remove_red_eye108 views comment0 comments You probably have one. A list of simple but easy-to-miss editing issues you look for before producing a final proposal document. And I’l...

09/21/2020

If you provide employee training (onboarding, policies, or procedures (safety, work procedures, Covid-19), handouts or intranet content can remind them what they need to know when they need it.
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Contact us to help develop your training and documentation.

09/15/2020