MAKE YOUR WRITING SING! Eliminate the Jargon

Jargon and buzz words are tempting to use, but should be avoided or used very sparingly.

People who play or follow football know what “audible,” “man-in-motion,” “scrambling” and similar words and phrases mean.

People immersed in the practice or study of business understand words and phrases such as “change agent,” “golden handcuffs,” “pushback,” “sweat equity” and “SWOT Analysis.”

Physicians know exactly what’s meant by “blue bloaters,” “pink puffers,” “renal failure” and “ascites.”

Those in the military are quite familiar with words such as “FUBAR” and “SAM.”

The rest of us, however, might have no idea what these words and phrases mean because they’re jargon, part of a specialized language used by a specific business, social, professional, religious or other group. Jargon is helpful and necessary within the groups, but can make communication difficult when it appears in publications intended for the general public.

For example, if you’re writing about newspapers, you might be tempted to say something like, “The beat reporter, eager for a bylined story, relied on a stringer to provide the facts so he could focus on writing the lead and inverted pyramid body.” Or if you were writing about the U.S. Marines, you could find yourself inclined to say, “The pogue skated and stuffed himself with pogie bait all day long.” And while those in-the-know will understand these sentences, the rest of us will just scratch our heads.

So when you’re writing for a general audience, do without the jargon, buzz words and abbreviations that only the initiated will understand. Yes, the occasional piece of jargon can spice up the text, but if readers have to keep flipping pages to see how you defined the word earlier in the book, or referring to the glossary, they’ll get frustrated. And frustrated readers are less likely to finish or recommend your book or article.

We at Taylor-Fox can help you create your business book, health book, memoir, biography, inspirational book or other book and get it ready for publication. We’ve helped scores of people achieve their goals, and some of their books have landed on bestseller lists. Call us at 818-594-0379.