Notebook

For writers, notebooks are where ideas come to life. This blog is a space for sharing our news and ideas with you.

  • The poetry of journalism

    Footnote

    “Last week, Israel’s oldest newspaper, Haaretz, took a one-off chance, temporarily replacing its workaday reporters with 31 of the country’s leading poets and authors.” via The New York Times

  • Why train travel is hard to sell

    Noted by Matt on 04.06.09

    Good words

    At Polon, we love travelling by train to meet clients. But — as we found out the other week — driving is often quicker, cheaper and easier. And that signals bad news if you want to inspire people to take the train.

  • Our reused paper notebooks

    Noted by Matt on 02.06.09

    Good words , Words words words

    We love our new notebooks (thanks Jen). Made in the UK from reused paper, we think they’re a stylish way to save energy and reduce waste.

  • 26 ways to beat writer’s block

    Noted by Matt on 01.06.09

    Web words , Business words , Words words words

    Last week we tweeted our A-Z guide to beating writer’s block. Now we’ve posted it here in full.

  • The joy of exclamation marks!

    Footnote

    “Exclamation marks used to be frowned upon. Now look what’s happened! We use them all the time! Hurrah!!! But what is it about the age of email that gets people so over-excited?” via guardian.co.uk

  • What’s the Black Death got to do with business writing?

    Noted by Matt on 27.04.09

    Business words

    If it wasn't for events back in the fourteenth century, we could be writing this post in Latin. Matt looks at how everyday English helped bring power to the people (and work for copywriters).

  • World’s best headlines: BBC News

    Footnote

    "Precise communication in a handful of words? The editors at BBC News achieve it every day, offering remarkable headline usability." via useit.com

  • Neologisms

    Footnote

    "It's difficult to track the number of words in the English language, since neologisms - new words - are coined every day. In these stories, we look at our changing language and highlight some of the new words that have entered it." visit Forbes

  • How the web made me a better copywriter

    Footnote

    "In 1999, when I left a staff job at a newspaper to start my own copywriting business, I never even thought about writing for the web. A decade later, most of my work consists of web projects. It struck me recently that this medium has led me to develop a different way of writing - tighter, simpler, more transparent." via AIGA

  • Want to be a web writer?

    Footnote

    "The web writer is responsible for producing accurate, compelling copy that clearly conveys the required messages to the target audience. He or she must write in an appropriate style that is in keeping with the client's brand, or which is suitable for the purpose of the website." via Skillset