"Older writers use too many dashes (both en and em), structure a piece in longer paragraphs, put “the end” or a dingbat after the last line, submit work that has been meticulously proofed, sometimes set up their email cover notes to look like traditional business letters, and are often extremely well-mannered."

Guilty. I do it all. And, until now, I thought these were marks of a professional. Turns out, it can "backfire with a much younger editor who is used to abbreviated quick-fire notes, interprets politesse as unnecessary blather, and sees a long missive as nothing more than a time suck."

Writer Lisa Romeo offers some (painful) insight on her blog, Lisa Romeo Writes.

Read it and let me know: Are you weeping or cheering?