Buy This Now, Please

The Elements of Style, Fourth EditionThe Elements of Style is a MUST OWN for all writers. If I ruled the world, this would be required reading on a daily basis. Do you want to know why your query letters suck? Skip past the front half of this book to get to the pages that list commonly abused words such as “hopefully”, non-words such as “irregardless”, and when it is proper to use the term “affect” as opposed to “effect”.

Editors can spot people who don’t know how to use common words properly a mile away, simply by reading the crap in cover letters. Why should you bother sending a reply to someone who doesn’t know the difference between “their” and “they’re”?

Yes, there are plenty of editors who really DO think along such lines. I’m one of them. Snobby? Perhaps. An occupational hazard? Definitely.

Buy The Elements of Style for $9.95