I write a monthly newsletter about copywriting and marketing communications. In July, I wrote an issue on how to write a press ad. It had my highest ever readership and clickthroughs to my website. You can find it here.

Heard a great new word today, from Faye Doherty at Emap.

'Dotless.'

It's how you tell someone your name in your email address isn't 'Andy dot Maslen'. You say, 'It's dotless'. Cool, huh?

I have just spent two hours with my essential IT man - Rob Stokes of Rascom IT - fixing ftp and other networking problems. The cause? Norton Anti-virus 2005. 'Helpfully' they supply a firewall, which 'helpfully' blocked half our network functions. Don't buy it! If you're on Norton 2003 and get asked to upgrade, my advice is don't.

Quick puzzle for you. Can you think of three plurals in English formed by adding '-en' (but NOT men or women)?

Thought I should add my ugly mug to the blog so there's a bit of that 'engagement' I kicked off with.

You can also find out more about me on my copywriting website.

I publish a free monthly e-zine on copywriting and communications. It's called Maslen on Marketing and you can subscribe here. (It's free and you get a free book on effective writing when you sign up.)

Why is it that you can sleep through other people's babies crying, but not your own? What makes you prick up your ears at a busy party when someone says your name? Apparently it's something to do with the part of your brain called the RAS. A kind of filter between your conscious and unconscious minds. More? See www.sentis.com.au.

This is my opening post.

Why The Anti-blah League? Because a lot of the so-called communications we get sent by companies large and small are just rubbish: blah blah blah. That's just not good enough.

As a corporate/marketing copywriter, as well as a writer of short fiction and poetry, I think language is too important to be left to the uncaring, the idiotic and the incompetent.

Let's start with a core belief that shapes all my writing: you have to engage your reader. Only then can you start communicating with them. And that means paying attention to the emotional impact of your words as well as the intellectual content.

You also need to be able to handle the tools at your disposal. You wouldn't commission a handmade writing desk from someone who used a kitchen knife to make dovetail joints.

Le's start a debate, a movement, a league against poor communication in all its forms and, more importantly, FOR good communicaiton wherever it occurs.