As one of the resident editors at Saxum Public Relations, I’m often asked how I find answers to all the grammar, style, spelling and punctuation questions I’m confronted with on a daily basis. I wish the answer were simple, but my knowledge comes from a variety of sources, most of which are situated between bookends on my desk or bookmarked in my favorites.
With so many books, search engines and other resources available for solving writing riddles, it’s helpful to find a few tried-and-true options to keep in your back pocket.
Here are a few of the best resources (print and online) that I’ve found for improving writing skills:
AP Stylebook- An oldie, but a goodie. I don’t mean to be sacrilegious, but this book was my bible in college. Determined to be the best editor in my class, I tagged popular entries in my book with post-its, circled, highlighted and otherwise mauled my once-pristine copy. I used to read it for fun. That’s how nerdy I was/am. Since then, I’ve graduated to an online subscription, which allows for quick searches for stylebook entries.
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Lisa Janssen is integral in the day-to-day writing, editing and communication efforts on her accounts as media relations supervisor. She brings a multimedia and journalism background to Saxum, after graduating summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and a minor in Spanish.
During her educational career, Janssen served as a Gaylord Ambassador for the Gaylord College of Journalism and gained experience in seven different areas of media, including newspaper, magazine, radio, television, online journalism, editing and public relations. She worked for The Oklahoma Daily, The Excellence and Ethics in Journalism Foundation, The Oklahoman/OPUBCO, the Public Information Office of OKC, the Oklahoma Gazette, the Office of the Mayor of Oklahoma City, World Literature Today and KGOU Radio. While working with the Public Information Office, she translated materials into the Spanish language and hosted City News on City Channel 20.
Janssen has received awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association, and was named Outstanding Journalism Senior from her 2008 graduating class and Top Scholar in the Kappa Tau Alpha Journalism Honor Society. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Oklahoma Arabian Horse Club and MENSA
Her work has been published in The Oklahoman, the Oklahoma Gazette, Distinctly Oklahoma, The Norman Transcript, The Oklahoma Daily, the Journal Record, OKC Friday, Thoroughbred Style, The National Show Horse Registry and the Oklahoma Arabian Horse Club newsletter. Janssen has also received regional and national titles for showing Arabian horses.
She currently lives in Oklahoma City.
Lindsay Laird joined Saxum in August 2006 and currently serves as an account supervisor. Her areas of expertise include research, media relations, social media, community relations and event planning. Laird also oversees Saxum’s internship program.
Laird’s previous experience includes working in provider relations at Electronic Data Systems, where she was responsible for writing a policy manual and member handbook for a new state program. She also worked in the corporate communications department at INTEGRIS Health, the state’s largest Oklahoma-owned health system. Laird also spent four years at Crosstrainers Fitness working as a customer service representative.
She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City’s Linking OKC’s Young Adult Leaders (LOYAL) Class IV and serves on the Greater Grads committee, which aims to build Oklahoma City’s talent base by connecting Oklahoma graduates with employers in the Oklahoma City area. Laird is also the immediate past chair of the PRSA New Young Professionals Committee and is an avid volunteer for the Central Oklahoma Humane Society.
Laird graduated magna cum laude from the University of Central Oklahoma with a bachelor’s degree in journalism/public relations. She currently lives in Yukon with her husband and two dogs.
