Cost-Per-Click vs Cost Per Click: Will it Cost Less if You Lose the Hyphens?

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Dear Copy Bitch: We are always having these debates in the office.  I am always on the losing end, but I think I’m right.

1. Is website one word or two?
2. Do you capitalize internet?
3. Do you put dashes between “cost-per-click”?

I know I have others, but now of course, I can’t think of any of them. I thought maybe other people need/want to know the answers.

~ Becca S, New York, New York

Well, you might not love my answer, which is this: It depends. It depends on the style guide you follow (AP, MLA, Chicago, etc.) and/or the rules your company or publication has adopted.

And keep in mind that language is fluid. The so-called “rules” change.

Back in 2002 when I started my copywriting business, I wrote “Web site” as two words, complete with a capital W. Now I write “website” as one word, but I occasionally see it as two words even now.

As for “Internet,” I follow the rule that it’s the name of a place, just like Paris and Boston. So I capitalize it. But plenty of reputable pubs don’t.

As for cost per click vs. cost-per-click (with hyphens), same answer: It depends on the person, the editor, the business owner, the publication. For me, I follow this rule: I don’t usually use hyphens if the term is used as a noun: What was the cost per click for the most recent ad campaign? or The cost per click was $1.45.

However, if a term is used as an adjective, that’s when I’d add hyphens: We need to be mindful of our cost-per-click budget. But again, I see sentences that violate my rule all the time (and I’m sure some smart reader could point out places where I violate my own rule).

The key is consistency. Be consistent with your usage and follow the organization’s style guides. All publications have style guides. Smart companies should have internal style guides that address items like the ones you list above (in addition to other things, such as serial commas). Anyone who creates content for the company (marketers, copywriters, consultants, etc.) should receive copies of the style guide (and adhere to the rules).

Language is fun. Here are my go-to writing and editing resources.

Note: I use affiliate links for some of them. If you use one of the links to buy something, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission. I only recommend stuff that I believe in.

  • Grammarly. The free version is great at catching critical errors. I used it for about a year before upgrading to the premium tier, and I’m glad I did. You can sign up for the free version here. (If you sign up or buy via my affiliate link, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission.)
  • A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers. (Amazon affiliate link link.) I have the fifth edition, which is excellent. I’m thinking about upgrading to the 10th. Hacker was incredible. She died in 2004, but her memory lives on.
  • Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer. (Amazon affiliate link.) Another gem. I gave this one to Mr. Word Nerd.

How to Write Like a Lawyer. Hint: Don’t.

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If you’re wondering how to write like a lawyer, you’re probably in law school, thinking about law school, or thinking that writing like a lawyer will make you sound smart.

Well, here’s a story for you: A bunch of years ago, I taught a first-semester writing course to law students. The reason why this brave little law school hired me, a freelance copywriter and fiction writer, is because it wanted someone to teach these folks how to write clearly instead of like the stereotypical lawyer.

One of my former students, now an attorney, sent me an email the other day that said, “I just had to read a clause in a legal contract. Guess how many words it had in it? I’ll give you a hint: slightly more than twenty.”

(I used to tell ’em to keep sentences as short as possible to make for easier reading. No, this rule doesn’t apply to everything. But it’s not a bad rule to guide you, at least in professional writing, which is what lawyers do.)

How to write like a lawyer: Don’t do this.

I asked my former student to remove any identifying info and send me the clause, which he did. It’s below.

Company and Mr. Smith Release.  For good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the Company and Mr. Smith (the “Company Releasors”) do hereby remise, release and forever discharge and by these presents do for themselves and their successors, assigns, subsidiaries, parent corporation, affiliates, insurers, and past, present and future members, managers, employees, agents, and representatives remise, release and forever discharge Ms. Jones and her successors, legal representatives and assigns (the “Jones Releasees”) from, against and with respect to any and all actions, accounts, agreements, causes of action, complaints, charges, claims, covenants, contracts, costs, damages, demands, debts, defenses, duties, expenses, executions, fees, injuries, interest, judgments, liabilities, losses, obligations, penalties, promises, reimbursements, remedies, suits, sums of money, and torts of any kind and nature whatsoever, whether in law, equity or otherwise, direct or indirect, fixed or contingent, foreseeable or unforeseeable, liquidated or unliquidated, known or unknown, matured or unmatured, absolute or contingent, determined or determinable but excepting and excluding the Promissory Note (collectively, a “Claim”) which the Company Releasors ever had, now have, or which the Company Releasors hereafter can, shall or may have against the Buyer Releasees, related to, for, upon or by reason of any matter, cause or thing whatsoever from the beginning of time to the date hereof related to, for, upon or by reason of any matter, cause or thing whatsoever; provided, however, that this Release shall not affect, waive, extinguish or otherwise release the Jones Releasees from any and all future claims which the Company may have related to the Promissory Note.

This doesn’t sound impressive, professional, or important. Do not write like this, ever. Even if you’re a lawyer.

(Note: I’m not an attorney, but you don’t need to write like this simply because you are one. To wit: my former student, the one who’s now a lawyer, was pulling his hair out over this piece of crap writing.)

By the way, here’s the writing reference book we used during class. I highly recommend it even after all this time.

I still have my copy (although it’s the fifth edition). The version I’m linking to here is the 10th: A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers. Note: This is an Amazon affiliate link. If you buy, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission.

See? That’s my legal disclaimer. Simple and clear. 😁

Nonetheless vs Nevertheless: Are they interchangeable?

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Dear Copy Bitch: Any thoughts on nonetheless vs nevertheless? Are they interchangeable?

–Jay S., from an email

It depends on who you talk to. Some say nonetheless and nevertheless have slightly different meanings. But the reality is most regular folks aren’t going to know the subtle difference.

And guess what? Merriam-Webster considers nonetheless and nevertheless to be synonyms, along with “however” and “even so.”

I love that Merriam-Webster has a kid’s definition if you scroll far enough down the page. So, according to the kid-friendly definition, nevertheless is an adverb that means “in spite of the facts” or, more simply, “However.”

How to use nevertheless or nonetheless

There’s a great scene in the last season of Succession when Frank is telling Cousin Greg that Greg’s name is on a piece of paper concerning the succession plan for the Roy empire. The newly deceased patriarch of the family (Logan Roy) had apparently added Greg’s name to this piece of paper. When Cousin Greg asked for details, Frank said, “You’re an addendum of ‘miscellaneous matters’ . . . in pencil . . . with a question mark.”

And Cousin Greg gave a cheerful, “Nevertheless!”

Boom! That one word, in this case, says so much. “In spite of those facts, Franky baby, my name is on that piece of paper. Game on.”

Would it have worked with “nonetheless”? Methinks so.

Here’s the thing: Even though Succession is a fictional show, the battle over the words and punctuation someone uses in their final wishes goes to show how important these seemingly little things are. And even the experts don’t always agree on meaning.

As a freelance copywriter, I’m always mindful of the words I use, but I don’t go it alone.

Here are my go-to writing and editing resources.

Note: I use affiliate links for some of them. If you use one of the links to buy something, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission. I only recommend stuff that I believe in.

  • Grammarly. (Affiliate link.) The free version is great at catching critical errors. I used it for about a year before upgrading to the premium tier, and I’m glad I did. You can sign up for the free version here. (If you sign up or buy via my affiliate link, it won’t cost you more, but I’ll earn a small commission.)
  • A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers. (Amazon affiliate link link.) I have the fifth edition, which is excellent. I’m thinking about upgrading to the 10th. Hacker was incredible. She died in 2004, but her memory lives on.
  • Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer. (Amazon affiliate link.) Another gem. I gave this one to Mr. Word Nerd.