By default, Microsoft Word automatically changes straight quotation marks ( ' or " ) to curly (smart or typographer's) quotes as you type. This is fine if you are only authoring your works for applications not relating to article marketing. When smart quotes are converted to HTML, the quotes are converted to non-standard characters which end up littering your document with question mark symbols and/or other garbage code.
When in doubt, don't allow your Ezine Articles to contain smart quotes:
Most articles that are put into article marketing distribution eventually end up being sent to an email newsletter audience. Email newsletter servers have near zero-tolerance for MS Word smart quotes; they will not recognize them as valid ASCII characters (because they are not valid). They are a figment of the Microsoft ASCII imagination. In most cases they will show up as garbage code; thus making you, and your article, look like a real novice lacking proper formatting skills.
At risk are: quotes, apostrophes, double dashes, and 3 periods in a row.
This is what smart quotes looks like when properly displayed:
"smart quotes" aren't very smart?
This is what STANDARD quotes looks like when properly displayed:
"smart quotes" aren't very smart...
This is what smart quotes looks like when NOT properly displayed:
â??smart quotesâ?? arenâ??t very smartâ?¦
Do you see the downside potential of leaving smart quotes in your articles that you put into distribution? Standard quotes use the lowest common denominator in the ASCII character standards world and this ensures that your articles will look great in any HTML or TEXT format.
How To Disable Microsoft Word's Smart Quotes:
1. On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect Options, then click the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
2. Under Replace as you type, select or clear the "Straight quotes" with "smart quotes" check box.
Alternatively, you can copy your entire MS Word document over to a non Microsoft text editor (EditPlus, UltraEdit, TextPad, etc) and do a simple search and replace. Search and replace the smart quotes into standard quotes, apostrophe's, dashes and dots if applicable.
Caution For Authors Who Do HTML Code For Their Articles in MS Word:
Unless you have smart quotes disabled, it should be noted that smart quotes are not valid HTML code. Therefore, don't even consider using MS Word to do HTML code unless you have the smart quotes feature disabled.
Article Marketing Smart Quotes Conclusion
Smart quotes are best left for e-books, physical books in print, PDF documents and any non-HTML related document. If you want to increase the portability of your ezine articles, do the smart thing and turn off Microsoft Word's smart quotes or do a search/replace before you upload your next article to the web.
About The Author:
Christopher M. Knight invites you to submit your best articles for massive exposure to the high-traffic EzineArticles.com directory. When you submit your articles to EzineArticles.com, your articles will be picked up by ezine publishers who will reprint your articles with your content and links in tact giving you traffic surges to help you increase your sales. To submit your article, setup a membership account today: http://EzineArticles.com/submit/
Writing articles is by far the most effective online promotion... Read More
Not writing articles yet? You really should try it, if... Read More
You may be wondering what persuasive writing has to do... Read More
Article writing can be such an intimate act as you're... Read More
Writing and submitting articles to article banks is a well-known... Read More
Being an Internet Article Author is far and away the... Read More
Writing articles is one of the best and most effective... Read More
You have probably heard that writing articles is one of... Read More
Writing articles related to your business is a great way... Read More
To be successful at any affiliate marketing program, you not... Read More
Article authors who use SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keywords to... Read More
The traditional print media newsletter is still useful even in... Read More
Have ever wished that there were a formula for crafting... Read More
Proven and Exceptional Click-Through ResultsTesting has proven again and again... Read More
Yesterday I met a 13-year old boy with a devilish... Read More
Everyone focuses their web marketing efforts on search engines, and... Read More
Many writers do not understand that the online writing business... Read More
You pick a pen, grab a piece of paper and... Read More
Writing articles for magazines, the Internet or the local community... Read More
Writing articles is one of the most powerful, if not... Read More
Search Engines are constantly on the "look out" for freshly... Read More
The Shortest Distance to Your Home Town Enterprise is Over... Read More
In order to sell your article must do three things:1.... Read More
Do you have problems finding ideas for articles and speeches?I... Read More
Many successful authors close their mind to learning HTML because... Read More
Online writing is really self-publishing made easier and potentially much... Read More
Sometimes when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
You submit it, that's what you do! And submit it... Read More
We all know that article writing is a great way... Read More
Most Internet marketers worth their salt know how effective articles... Read More
I've been involved in publishing for over a decade now... Read More
A large portion of your business relies on your ability... Read More
The experts are always telling us that getting paid for... Read More
Okay, so you're getting a feel for this article marketing... Read More
"But I've only been on the Internet 3 months! How... Read More
Every time I run a course on Freelance Writing, students... Read More
Many successful authors close their mind to learning HTML because... Read More
It doesn't really matter who you are; you definitely know... Read More
Have you ever seen articles that are not only related... Read More
It is amazing to see how much we all still... Read More
What's the quickest, easiest way to get exposure for your... Read More
What's the most powerful marketing technique on the Web? Search... Read More
Most business owners are overwhelmed with the day to day... Read More
This is precisely what I am doing here today (and... Read More
Not every web designer has the time ? or skills... Read More
Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More
Marketing on the internet can be a costly procedure, especially... Read More
The Shortest Distance to Your Home Town Enterprise is Over... Read More
How are you marketing your articles? As a writer prospecting... Read More
Publishers and webmasters can spend massive amounts of time just... Read More
The Whole reason you write those articles is so you... Read More
I recently became aware that promoting your web site in... Read More
If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More
The traditional print media newsletter is still useful even in... Read More
Sometimes when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
Frequently when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
There are two primary factors in creating a successful reference... Read More
Would it be worth it to master a technique that... Read More
I'm betting that that 3 out of 4 of you... Read More
Writing articles for publication on the Internet is, at the... Read More
Now that you see that articles are the number one... Read More
Have you ever wondered why Ezine Articles have become one... Read More
Currently many online writers and would-be online writers, feel very... Read More
Writing articles, and promoting them for publication, is one of... Read More
It's no secret-link exchanges are dying a painful death. And... Read More
I have seen the question asked so many times. How... Read More
Article Writing |