[NEohioPAL]Whilst on the subject of grammar, usage, etc.

[TONY BROWN]

Some of you might find this useful. It is not intended to be a criticism =
of anyone in particular, just a note that might serve you well, especially =
if you're looking for publicity out of the Plain Dealer or other major =
newspapers in the area.

In casual e-mails, I agree, matters of style, spelling and grammar are not =
that important (unless the subject you're writing about might one day end =
up being published somewhere in a unflattering story or used in court =
against you, and your grammar would compound your troubles with embarrassme=
nt). E-mail is a dangerous thing, and the wisest would use it with =
caution.

But if you're actually WANTING a paper to use something you're writing, =
you should be aware that we're short-handed due to increasing economic =
pressures and it would behoove you to get us the information in a form =
that doesn't require massive reworking.

Spell-check your items. Give contact information, both for publication (we =
cannot publish items without a contact number) and for reporters to =
contact you with further questions. Give a ticket price spread (low to =
high), for we will not publish items without such information. Be concise =
(example: it's redundant to say evening performances are at 8 p.m., so =
skip the evening performances part, just say 8 p.m.; it's also redundant =
to say matinees are at 2 p.m. because if it's at 2 p.m. it's obviously a =
matinee; it's doubly redundant to say afternoon matinees are at 2 p.m.; =
it's triply redundant to say weekend afternoon matinees are at 2 p.m. =
Saturday; I hope you're getting the drift). On the other hand, don't be =
cryptic.

If you really want to help yourselves get information in correctly and =
assuredly, look at the paper, and figure out how we do things. Such as: =
Never abbreviating the day of the week (Monday, not Mon.); always =
abbreviating the name of the month when used with a date (Sept. 12, not =
September 12), except for the months with five letters or fewer (April 12, =
not Apr. 12); never abbreviate the month when not used with a date =
(September, not Sept.); do not add unneeded zeroes to times and prices =
($12 and 8 p.m., not $12.00 and 8:00 p.m.); note the style on a.m. and =
p.m. (NOT A.M. and P.M. or am and pm or AM and PM); note that we always =
put the time before the day and the day before the date, and the date =
before the venue, and the venue before the address, and the address before =
the city, because it's shorter and clearer (8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, at =
Barrel Full O' Monkeys Theatre, 345 Whoopee Blvd., Parma.); note that we =
include area codes with phone numbers, that we separate the numbers with =
hyphens, not parentheses, that we never use those clever spelt-out =
numbers, and we use the "1" or any other prefix unless it's an 800 or 888 =
number or an overseas number (330-897-0946, 1-800-666-6666, 011-44-87-29-46=
).

This is minutiae, true, and it's part of my job (and others who work here) =
to make sure this stuff is right; but you stand a far better chance with =
overworked journalist types if we don't have to fix every single detail of =
what you send.

I could go on, but all you have to do is just look at the paper and see =
how we do things. Almost all major dailies have their quirks of style (we =
have our own stylebook at the PD), but they all pretty much hew to the AP =
Stylebook, which can be had online for $17.95 and at college bookstores =
for $10.95. Another useful volume, if you want to get an even better grip =
on how to write a press release (or a novel, or just a sentence you can be =
proud of having written), is Strunk and White's Elements of Style, which =
can be had in its fourth (and latest) edition for $9.95, or in its =
original edition for $3.95, both at amazon.com, or at any bookstore worth =
patronizing.

On a technical note, you would do yourself a favor if you sent ONLY =
Microsoft Word document-attachments (word.docs for the computer-literate) =
or text-only document-attachments (XXX.txt) that can be generated on =
almost any computer using simple programs that often have names such as =
Notepad or Editpad or Notebook. Furthermore, never put anything in such =
documents other than text; no crazy formatting, no logo from your theater, =
no photos (those are done entirely through another process), just words =
and numbers. No spreadsheets, no pdf's, none of that crap. If all else =
fails, just put the information in the body of the e-mail itself.

Finally, you will do yourself and us an immense service if you don't title =
your document-attachments "PRESS RELEASE." I mean, really. Think about if =
for a minute and just try to imagine how many press releases a journalist =
or clerk at the PD receives in a single day. If you want me to be able to =
recognize who the hell yours comes from or to what it pertains, do not =
call it "PRESS RELEASE." Call it "TAKE ME OUT" or something that will give =
me some clue as to what it contains. I already know it's a press release.

Or, just ignore this entirely and take your chances.

Tony  =20


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