Writers Checklist

• For websites, page length should be 400 words on average.
• Use short paragraphs and concise sentences.
• Try to use lists and headings as often as possible.
• Try to avoid special characters (& * dashes, / @ . | ) as they may translate oddly in html or require additional coding.
• Consider the audience.  It’s usually consumers rather than law firms.  Pick the tone and person accordingly.  But, find one tense, tone, and voice and stick to it throughout the pages.
• This is marketing writing.  It’s okay, and preferred, to start a sentence with And or So.  It’s okay to use you.  Personal is usually preferred.
• Use TWO (yes 2) spaces after an end punctuation mark (period, question mark, exclamation point).
• In addition to this document, our primary style reference is Webster’s New Desk Set: New Compact Office Dictionary and NewStyle Guide (Wiley, 2000).
• When you get copy approval, be sure to download your final draft to word.  Do a spell & grammar check before the site goes to QA. To do this—
  1. Go to Site 9 and click on COMMAND (on the blue menu bar).
  2. Then click on Download as Word.
  3. Then click on Generate a new Word Document
  4. You will see this message: New Document is being generated. This page does not refresh automatically. Click Here to Refresh Click where indicated.
  5. When the screen refreshes, you can click on the document e.g. Content2008-11-03-16.58.58.doc
  6. Open the file and use the Word spelling and grammar checker. Be sure to spell check the meta data (if appropriate) as well.