About Alison

Alison Harmer is an award-winning copywriter and editor on a mission to eradicate errant apostrophes and unnecessary capitals and hyphens. She's highly flexible, easy to work with and always delivers on time.

What was your worst job?

Working as a catering assistant at Hamley's in the 1980s is definitely my worst job. What's yours?
By |March 28th, 2011|Customer service, Work|Comments Off on What was your worst job?

How to write like a journalist

Write like a journalist by using the 'inverted triangle' to structure your story. It's a fast, effective way to give your writing instant impact.
By |March 7th, 2011|Film, Journalism, Writing|3 Comments

Artful subs and 10 tips to avoid wasting words

Radio 4's Word of Mouth programme interviews subs from The Sun about the art of the sub-editor. Not wasting words is a key skill - are you guilty of these top 10 waffle samples?
By |February 1st, 2011|Journalism|Comments Off on Artful subs and 10 tips to avoid wasting words

iPad and digital mags are 2010’s top stories

Blog posts about digital magazines and the iPad got the most views in 2010. Thanks to everyone who commented and happy new year to all bloggers.
By |January 3rd, 2011|Blogging, Writing|Comments Off on iPad and digital mags are 2010’s top stories

Common-sense communication gets my vote

Lack of corporate communication can have an unexpected impact on a company's reputation/PR - as well as affecting blood donors!
By |November 10th, 2010|Corporate Communications, Health, Public relations|3 Comments

Why sub-editors are still needed

Sub-editors are under threat at Northcliffe Media but the argument to keep them is the same as ever - quality, quality, quality.
By |November 2nd, 2010|Editing, Headline writing, Writing|8 Comments

Digital magazine layout needs to turn a page

The iPad is revolutionising publishing. Editors and designers are no longer constrained by traditional print layouts in digital magazines. Are you still turning pages or are you swiping?
By |October 6th, 2010|Corporate Communications, Editing, iPad, Media|12 Comments

Mum turns to Facebook in fight against spiders

If you're suffering from an influx of spiders-of-unusual-size, it's time to arm yourself for battle. Anti-spider sprays and light sabre vacuums are my weapons of choice - an arms-length alternative to the glass-and-card approach.
By |September 16th, 2010|Bug busting, Flexible working, Working mums|Comments Off on Mum turns to Facebook in fight against spiders

Why a style guide is vital for brand value

Organisations that don't invest in editorial or design style guidelines do so at the peril of their brand. Five reasons why house style guides are essential for business.
By |August 2nd, 2010|Corporate Communications, Editing, Internal Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Writing|Comments Off on Why a style guide is vital for brand value

Customer service sidelined as England triumphs

If you thought it was all over, it isn’t now!

Yesterday’s goal by Jermain Defoe put the kibosh on all non-football lovers’ hopes for a return to normality – at least until the match with Germany.

The World Cup is not popular in this house! It’s coincided with building works that come to a halt every time […]

By |June 24th, 2010|Customer service, World Cup|Comments Off on Customer service sidelined as England triumphs