With capitalism continuing to surge and tighten its hold on the market, price fixing is becoming an ever expanding issue. This happens when companies confer with each other about what prices should be, instead of coming to their own prices without comparing notes with the competition (in a bet to increase their own profits and… Read More
Amazon: the pros and cons of publishing through this megacorp today
Amazon’s growth in the book industry has publishers and writers facing more challenges than ever. While Kindle Publishing provides a simple enough format to upload books, this accessibility comes at a price. The publishing market has become stretched thin as each publisher vies for the biggest portion. Amazon itself is responsible for 70-80% of the… Read More
Pluperfect: putting the past in the past
The word pluperfect is reminiscent of the sound effects that come out of a bad guy when Adam West’s Batman hits them. In actuality, pluperfect is the shortened version of a longer Latin phrase (for all you language geeks: plusquamperfect) which means “more than perfect”. It might be simpler to call it past perfect or… Read More
Active vs. Passive: the voices of storytelling and how to use them
One of the most foundational blocks of grammar and writing is also one of the most often debated: Active vs. Passive voice. Undoubtedly, it’s been some time since any of us deliberately considered the differences between the two, or even the naming convention of them. Their uses are often contested. Most teachers, writers, or blogs… Read More