Dear Direct Response Letter Subscriber: Here's a writing tip concerning acronyms.... Even if you believe your entire readership knows an acronym, you should still spell out the acronym the first time you use it in your copy. For instance, I recently got an email with the headline "How Will the New MOPR Impact PJM?" I would have spelled out Minimum Offer Price Rule (and whatever PMJ is). Acronyms in headlines are typically less powerful than words. Spell out most acronyms and abbreviations the first time you use them in a piece of writing. Then I advise you to alternate between the acronym and the term fully spelled out throughout the rest of your composition. My FB friend RS concurs. "I detest acronyms," he says. "Even when they are spelled out initially, one often forgets, and then, when the acronym appears, one must waste time locating the place where the explanation occurs. It is much better to write out the term each time it occurs, always erring on the side of caution." The only acronyms you can always write as acronyms -- and never spell out -- are those where the acronym is better known and more commonly used than the term spelled out. Examples include DNA, OPEC, FBI, and laser (light amplification through stimulated emission of radiation). Sincerely, Bob Bly Copywriter / Consultant 31 Cheyenne Dr. Montville, NJ 07045 Phone 973-263-0562 Fax 973-263-0613 www.bly.com Follow Bob:        I welcome your feedback! Did you like today's message? What other topics would you like to see covered in my e-mails? Please let me know at: rwbly@bly.com As always, please feel free to forward this e-mail to a friend! If you liked this essay, and want to read 75 more just like it, get my book "Don't Wear a Cowboy Hat Unless You are a Cowboy -- and Other Grumblings from a Cranky Curmudgeon," which you can order here: www.bly.com/KindleCowboy Disclaimer: The Direct Response Letter only recommends products that we've either personally checked out ourselves, or that come from people we know and trust. For doing so, we sometimes receive a sales commission.