Quick Tip:
The Comma Demystified
The reality about punctuation in direct-marketing copy is this: It really doesn't matter if you're a little shaky. Your prospect won't mind if you're not perfect. Just follow a few of the basic rules and you'll be fine.
But there is one type of punctuation that it's worth paying a little more attention to – because if you misuse it, your prospect could have trouble understanding your copy. I'm taking about the comma (,).
When you're reading and come to a comma, that gives you a signal to pause briefly and take a little breath. So when commas are misplaced – or, as is more frequently the case, overused – in your copy, it has the effect of disrupting the flow of what your prospect is reading.
To avoid this, follow the rule of functional comma use:
If you are sure a comma belongs – really sure – use one. If you are not absolutely sure, do NOT throw one in "just in case."
Here are the "must use" spots for commas.
In a series: red, white, and blue
In numbers over 999: 1,234,567
To avoid confusion: "Even though I like the picture, frame it in black." (Without the comma, the words picture and frame want to be read together as "picture frame.")
Within and after dates in sentences: We're going to arrive in Florida on October 8, 2007, at Lake Port Airport.
There are other places where commas technically belong, but – once again – if you're not sure, don't put them in.
How to Land Clients in 21 Days with Just Your Computer
How do I land my first client? It’s a question every aspiring freelancer asks eventually. Now, there’s a proven system for landing clients that removes the guesswork. Best of all? No cold calling. Learn More »
“That first paycheck told me I could do this. Recent paychecks and referrals are confirming that I’m on my way to living the dream.”
If yes, you could be in big demand, earning big money, writing just a few hours a day from anywhere in the world you choose to be.
Get Nick Usborne’s step-by-step system for creating money-making information websites.
In just 6 hours and 35 minutes, you can be in business earning $60 – $150 an hour writing simple resumes.
Learn the secrets behind succeeding in this in-demand career.
The work is plentiful … the pay scales are generous and the competition is scarce!
Get the answers to the hundreds of questions and concerns commonly asked in specific, step-by-step details.
Use this eight-step plan to make the leap from aspiring copywriter to professional copywriter this year.
Let your fellow AWAI members show you firsthand the easiest, most powerful way to land your first client … BEFORE you finish the program.
Writing for the web is a huge opportunity for copywriters. Let web expert Nick Usborne show you how to write blockbuster web copy in record time … even if you're a complete internet “rookie”!
It’s an opportunity to make $50,000, $75,000, $100,000 a year or more … working just a few hours a day.
A once complicated profession is now something you can do on a standard computer – even if you have little or no “artistic” ability.
It’s one thing to have a website. But if your website can’t be found by the search engines, it may as well not exist.
The Internet creates new income possibilities every day. The biggest among them: online video marketing.
Get the very techniques top-performing copywriters use to rattle off one groundbreaking control after another.
In his new book, Michael Masterson teaches you his very own formula for powerful persuasion and how to apply it to direct mail sales letters as well as online promotions.
Guest, Leave a Reply
Please Note: Your comments will be visible by everyone.