Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of English, and How to Impress a Publisher (2)

The tiniest things can be so useful when you come to consider the nuts and bolts of writing. The comma is one of them. No, don't go away: it's a useful device that's often used badly -- or ignored altogether.

As an editor of books, I am forever sticking commas into other people's prose, having first of all had to work out what their sentence is trying to say. Many people are slapdash about comma use, and it can go down badly with a commissioning editor who is, say, looking at your approach letter and sample chapter and thinking, "Uh, oh. This one's going to give us problems. Where's that equally promising but better-presented proposal that will cost us far less in copy-editing fees?"

There are many useful punctuation and grammar tips in a downloadable book I co-wrote on how you can get yourself published very quickly, You Can Write Books (at www.youcanwritebooks.com), although its main focus is on how to get your work before a publisher. But here I'll deal with this one useful but sometimes overlooked little squiggle, and a few things that many writers neglect.

First, should be used in a list of items to break them up: pens, pencils, books, and paper. Should you use a comma before and in that list, though? Well, yes if you're, say, a North American; yes and no if you're British. This is called the list comma or serial comma (it is often called the Oxford comma, and is still used by Oxford University Press).

Many people say it's not necessary, because the word and in that sentence is doing the job the commas were doing earlier in the sentence. However, many writers of English throughout the world -- notably, as I said, in America -- like the serial comma, and insist on it. Most British writers, publishers, and newspapers don't bother with it, and so would write "writers, publishers and newspapers"; "pens, pencils, books and paper."

What should you do? Well, you choose a style and stick to it. Be consistent. Better still, you see which style your potential publisher uses, and go with that. That goes for all stylistic considerations. Don't forget: you're selling an idea to a publishing house, and anything you can do to impress them will go in your favor.

The comma is also very handy to separate two distinct clauses in a sentence, and this is where many writers ignore it. You'll see how I used it in the last sentence, after the word sentence. Not only does it give you a pause for breath (a mental breath if you're not reading aloud, of course), but often it can help the meaning.

Take this: "I passed the ball to Joe and Fred kicked it into the net." I passed the ball to Joe and Fred? No, I passed it to Joe, and then Fred came along and kicked it into the net. You get the meaning eventually, but why should I as writer give you, the reader, pause? If I'd written, "I passed the ball to Joe, and Fred kicked it into the net," you wouldn't even have blinked, because the meaning would have been immediately clear.

Or look at this sentence: "That day I went to the movies ..." could mean that on that particular day I went to the movies ("That day, I went to the movies") or that it was on the day I went to the movies that something else happened ("That day I went to the movies something else happened").

In the first pair of parentheses above, you'll see how the comma has been used to convey the first of the two possible meanings. But, if you miss it out, you're going to have your reader thinking you meant it the other way. If that's not your intention, make sure you use the comma.

A few final brief points, then, about the comma.

Commas come before quoted speech: "Joe said, 'Let's go and see a movie.'"

Commas come after a piece of quoted speech, before you say who's speaking: "'Let's go and see a movie,' said Joe."

Commas can be used in the way brackets are used: "My English teacher, Martha Moonbeam, gave me good marks this week." The commas here are known as bracketing commas, because they do the same work as parentheses (round brackets, like these) but in a "weaker" way.

Another example of bracketing commas would be, "The train, which was late leaving, made up for lost time." Don't miss off the second comma; many people do.

Commas separate adjectives in such sentences as, "It was a cold, damp, dreary sort of day." In this context, they're doing much the same work as in the list of items above, except that here we have adjectives, not nouns.

In one short article, you have, I hope, got to grips with this bit of occasionally troublesome but very useful punctuation. You may have been familiar with some of the things, anyway, but I hope that, if there were one or two concerns you weren't too sure about, this article has been of help.

Andrew John is co-author of You Can Write Books, a no-nonsense downloadable book from http://www.youcanwritebooks.com that will get you into print if you follow its advice. He and his co-author, Stephen Blake, have written more than a dozen print titles (details on http://www.youcanwritebooks.com). Both are writers and editors, and You Can Write Books is crammed with advice you can trust.

---

Need a Book Coach, Ghost Writer, or Editor? Part 1

If you either want to write a book to help... Read More

The Dreaded Daily Word Count

Open any book on 'how to write,' and somewhere you... Read More

Ten Ways to Get Cheap (and Free) Magazine Samples

1 - Join a reading or writing group. Ask members... Read More

How to Write a Short Story

Everybody knows writing a story is not easy. Like the... Read More

A Writers Tools

If you are like most writers, you're constantly searching for... Read More

How to Write Headlines for How-to Articles

Want to write a how-to article but can't come up... Read More

Making The Time To Write That Novel

Finding the time to write a novel is one of... Read More

You Cant Always Believe What You See On Your Computer Screen

You may not remember this, but in the early days... Read More

Book Publishing Contracts For Writers: What Should I Look Out For?

Dave, I just got a contract for a book... Read More

Gaining Writing Experience

GAINING WRITING EXPERIENCE Some Catch-22, huh? In... Read More

Learning to Question Your Elephant Child: Who, What, Where, When and Why

Having problems writing? I don't know why. San Francisco Chronicle... Read More

9 More Writing Tips for Successful Email Marketing

A few months ago, I wrote a guide entitled: 101... Read More

How to Use Textpad to Write Articles Faster

It's a good idea to use TextPad because all opt-in... Read More

Revving Up Your Writing Productivity

Productivity begins by recognizing and valuing your brilliance, time, and... Read More

Getting Looked Over, Without Getting Overlooked: Writing for Scanners and Skimmers

* Scanning and Skimming Practices *Whether you're writing e-mail messages... Read More

Applying KISS Principle in Writing

I have added a new word to my vocabulary. Logorrhea.... Read More

7 Writing Muse Kickers to Fill Up That Blank Page

Nothing is more daunting for any writer than having to... Read More

Writing from Home: It Can Be Great and Not-So-Great for Mothers

I went to school to be a teacher. In fact,... Read More

Retail Margin, Trade Discount, and What it Means for the Author

DEFINITIONSRetail margin is basically the difference between your book's wholesale... Read More

Put a Spin on Your Idea!

Eight or nine times out of ten, picking up and... Read More

Hey Cient, this is Me! Find Your Writing Voice and Sell Yourself

In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More

Gut Check: Quitting Your Full-time Job for Your Freelance Career

It's 6:00 p.m. You're dead tired, but instead of an... Read More

Knock-Out Writers Block: Listening To Your Inner Voice

When I was young, I used to talk to myself.... Read More

Creative Writing Tips - Have You Established Your Main Character At The Start?

In the beginning of your story you have to grab... Read More

Starting a Local Writers Group

My husband is no poet, so when I offer my... Read More

Tips On Writing A Killer Sales Letter

Writing a sales letter doesn't have to be that difficult... Read More

How Are You Plotting?

Creative Writing Tips ?Writing is a creative process and how... Read More

Nobody Likes A Rambler

We all know people who ramble. They include every boring... Read More

The Opportunities As A Freelance Proofreader in the UK

A UK based freelance proofreader should be able to provide... Read More

A Writers Life

Ever wonder what an author's life is like? What that... Read More

Five Golden Rules for Writers

Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how... Read More

Check Your English Grammar With This Easy Technique

As an International language, English has been used widely in... Read More

How to Get Free Publicity in In-flight Magazines

If you're targeting an educated, more affluent audience with your... Read More