Blog – Page 15 – Shari Lopatin

December 20, 2010

Are You Writing in Passive Voice? 3 Ways to Know

“Mistakes were made.” Perhaps my all-time favorite politician quote, made famous by good ol’ Richard Nixon. Mistakes were made all right. Mistake number one, Nixon boy: DON’T COMMUNICATE IN PASSIVE VOICE. Passive voice is boring. It’s what we reporters call “politician talk.” It can avoid responsibility, it will hypnotize readers to sleep, and it confuses…
December 9, 2010

Thank You to My Awesome Subscribers! An Invitation . . .

This post is not intended to be mind-blowing, or to knock you off your feet in pure revelation. No. This post is merely intended as a kind, sincere, warm-hearted thank you to all my subscribers. I’ve recently had several new individuals and connections subscribe to my blog—everyone from Bananagram fanatics, to Jews, to animal lovers…
December 6, 2010

3 Social Marketing Lessons from a Bananagram

Plastic letters in a banana. Was I hallucinating? No, but after one simple email, I switched from a skeptic to an advocate for this unique “game.” I’m talking about the new age of social media marketing. About a week ago, I wrote a humorous, yet cynical blog post entitled, “Bananagrams: The New Age of American…
November 21, 2010

My Jewish Cat and the Art of Guilt

When hungry, most cats drill their “servants” with shrilling meows, driving them into madness. Not my cat. Instead, he’s taken another route, skillfully learning the art of Jewish guilt. He doesn’t need to meow. In fact, he protests with complete silence, accompanied by “the look.” I first noticed Chance had acquired this divine power last…
November 9, 2010

Magic of the Magazine Staff Box: An Old Professor’s Secret to Pitching

*This is an older post. Much of the information is still useful, but for more updated writing and pitching tips, please see the note at the end of this post! Ever wonder HOW to find the right editor at a magazine to whom you should pitch that amazing story idea? You may or may…
October 23, 2010

Enticing Magazine Editors and Media–Successfully Pitch Your Story!

Whether you’re a PR professional selling your company’s story, or a freelancer enticing a magazine editor, understanding how to pitch well is vital. I’ve enjoyed success as a journalist and media relations professional for a reason. 1. Keep your pitches to 5 sentences or less. As a freelancer trying to get published in a magazine, I…
October 15, 2010

5 Tips for Engaging Content–Captivate Your Audience!

I might be no Dan Brown, but I do work for a big company as a corporate communications writer, and have been published regionally as well as nationally. I’m also a former newspaper reporter who’s won two Associated Press awards. Therefore, here are my top 5 writing tips when drafting content for the general public.…