Best Business Practices for Photographers, Third Edition, 3rd Edition

Chapter 12

Writing Like a Professional Can Solve Many Problems

Letters, correspondence, notes, and such are truly the foundations of communication. Battles waged, lives lost, and unintended consequences have all resulted from poor writings. The importance of good and accurate letter writing cannot be underestimated. The misplacement of a comma by Lockheed Martin cost them $70 million in a contract for their services. On June 18, 1999, the Associated Press reported that “An international contract for the U.S.-based aerospace group’s C-130J Hercules had the comma misplaced by one decimal point in the equation that adjusted the sales price for changes to the inflation rate.” In Europe, commas are used instead of periods to mark decimal points. “It ...