Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Dirty Dozen

I just received an email from Sara of the blog The Inadvertent Yogini (which is featuring a guest blog from me about the relationship between punctuation and yoga—my two passions). She said there are only twelve copies of Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares left on Amazon. That’s exciting, right? Well, unless they only started out with twenty copies in stock. But I have decided that they started out with three million, so it’s AMAZING!

I am so giddy today. I just want to give away more copies of my book. 

If you want one, and you are not Janette Dolores, whose name I just picked out of a hat as the winner of my last contest (well, not a hat—a random basket that was in the closet in the library), then all you have to do is buy the last twelve copies. 

Just kidding. All you have to do to be entered in the contest is tell me in the comments section why you think proper grammar is important. And if you don’t think it’s important, lie. 

And then if you have time, check out my guest post on Sara’s blog. (There’s a pic of me doing a headstand.) 

And if you have even more time, will you post about the release of my book on Facebook and Twitter? 


And if you have even more time after that, take some time out for yourself--you deserve it.



28 comments:

Shelly said...

Good grief! Today's the day! I need to get one of those books while they're still around.

Proper grammar is as important as pure air, clean water, and cute shoes. Without proper grammar, the world tilts ever so slightly off its axis, rendering everything else out of kilter.

Send me your guest post whenever you like and I'll put it up~

Shelly said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shannon said...

Proper grammar is important because I have a short fuse and tend to flip out on people who write your instead of you're.

Stephen T. McCarthy said...

>> . . . All you have to do is tell me in the comments section why you think proper grammar is important.

Proper grammar be important 'cuz if you ain't got no good understanding of grammar you'll find you is writing just like I are writing and people will think you is dumb. (And maybe you is.)

~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'

JD said...

Hooray! I'm excited to be receiving your book and thank you for the free copy. Glad to learn there are only 12 copies left on Amazon, you author in high demand, you!

I'll email you my mailing address. If your book is anything like your blog, I'll love it.

Wishing you much continued success,

Janette

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

Proper grammar is vital in correctly using the English language. Grammar represents the rules of English, and if you don't follow the rules you will be a broken English speaker! The most horrendous of results are shown by a simple grammar mistake, so it's really impotant to have it spot-on!
Duncan In Kuantan

Ms Belson said...

If only to help English teachers hold onto to the last shred of their sanity (while marking assignments)... spread the word. Proper Grammar is *totes orsies! **Get on it, yo!


*totally awesome
**you'll end up rich and famous and married to Matt Damon (... I'm still waiting Matt!)

Nianque said...

When I was in high school ( we won't discuss how many years ago that was), I wrote a letter for the school newspaper denouncing the poor grammar and spelling used on posters and advertising throughout the school. It seems I was the only one besides those teaching English who cared.
I would love to have a copy of your book which I would donate to our local public library where I work.

Nianque said...

I'm worrying now that I improperly punctuated the previous comment.

Wendy Ramer, Author said...

Are you kidding me? Are you for real? Are you talkin' to ME?

Proper grammar is what protects our language - any language - from the demise that so many other languages have historically suffered. It should not an issue of snobbery or social class but rather of pride in our heritage and the ability to communicate as intelligent people.

There. Erudite enough for ya?

A Beer for the Shower said...

In the age of texting speak (r u gnna b ther l8r?) this is absolutely needed. Also, it currently says 14 are left... did they add a couple more to that 3 million to help top it off? One can only hope.

Mary Mary said...

OMG! Only twelve left! Good for you!

As to the grammar question, I never use OMG because I don't thing there's a teen alive today who knows how to spell any of those words. So much jargon and lack of proper punctuation has created a generation of people who write like illiterates. All you have to do is go to any comment section on a news article and try to decipher what people are trying to say with their mashed together words and lack of apostrophes (not to mention there aren't many periods to be found). It's a little sad, and I hope your book is selling like hotcakes because they realize the folly of their grammar ways.

Anyway, there's my two cents and I wouldn't mind a copy if you're giving one away : )!

Mary Mary said...

I meant "think" not "thing". Ha!

Jono said...

if i dont win yer book ill never get good at grammer and be abel to get a bedder job cuz this one sucks i cant tell u how bad it is oh pleeze help me with yer book;

Beverly Diehl said...

You know the joke about proper grammar is the difference between helping your uncle, Jack, off a horse, and helping your uncle jack off a horse, right?

Perhaps that's more about punctuation and capitalization. Nonetheless, better use of grammar and punctuation helps us express ourselves clearly.

Will be sharing on FB and Twitter and even if I'm not the lucky winner, I am because I get to read your blog when time permits. :-)

the late phoenix said...

after those pics, i'm suddenly interested in yoga again! see, i swore off yoga after that Yogi Bear incident in the park with the picnic baskets being filled with that strange liquid...

Jemi Fraser said...

Sounds exciting - I bet there were millions of copies before they started! I just got back from vacation - so I'll be catching up on things in the next bit!

Correct grammar is always important! Clarity of thought, concise communication, to avoid mistunderstandings... so many reasons!

Terra Shield said...

Correct grammar is important because it sounds right ;)

Carol Kilgore said...

Proper grammar is important because it lets the writer relay exactly what she means to the reader.

Stephen T. McCarthy said...

Proper grammar is important because Jenny Baranick says so.

That's all the answer anyone should need.

Now, do I win a free book or what?

~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'

SarcasticTestGuy said...

I'm very left-brained; my wife is very right-brained.

I hear the meaning of the sentence; she hears the intent of the sentence.

We mis-communicate way, way, way too much.

The use of proper grammar, if employed consistently, would keep me from asking things like:

"Who is 'he' in that sentence?"

This question begets responses like, "Huh?"

"You said that Bob and Dave were arguing and 'he' called 'him' a bad word...who is 'he'?"

(I'm going to assume that 'him' will be the one who is not 'he').

When the wife doesn't stop talking for 6 minutes straight, and I've hit this roadblock, I didn't hear 4 minutes and we'll have to go back over them.

Proper grammar, if used consistently, can in this manner enrich lives by having more, (note the comma please) better (instead of 'more better' or betterer) communication, and can ultimately stave off a war.

Felt Family said...

Proper grammar is important because it gives the writer/speaker credibility. Without it, they are just incredible. No...wait...that doesn't sound right...

Talli Roland said...

Well done on your book doing so well - yay! Hm, proper grammar. It's important so you can identify a man who knows how to spell, since the ability to spell correctly is also linked to dexterity in the bedroom.

(Wouldn't it be nice if that were true?)

Skeptical Czarina said...

Proper grammar is important because so many people read the internet and don't realize what good grammar is anymore. Nobody reads REAL books! To be a better writer one must read more!

anthony stemke said...

Proper grammer be very important.

James Garcia Jr said...

Hi, Jenny. As I already told you, I "luck" into getting my sentences correct. Having said (written) that, proper grammar is important so when I write my words down for all posterity, I don't show my ignorance!! *laughs*
By the way, I surfed over and saw the yoga photos. Yeah...I think I'll stick with my treadmill! I don't think I could get out of some of those positions. ;)

-Jimmy

Rose - Watching Waves said...

We share common passions of good grammar/orthography and yoga. Good grammar and orthography is important because it facilitates communication and understanding. Poor grammar/orthography often leads to misunderstandings and even lawsuits.
A friend recently posted a comment on facebook and I wasn't really sure if he meant "accept" or "except" since each could have been correct depending on the intent of his comment. As a result, I still don't know what he meant.

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