By Bobbie Christmas

Q: When writing for a magazine that invites you to solicit clients, what’s the best way to do it?

A: Make full use of the byline at the end of the article. If you are a family therapist, for example, and you’ve written an article on reconciling estrangements, and if you have a Web site that has all your contact information on it, you could simply add at the end, usually in italics, a brief note that might go like this: John Tranquil is a family therapist in practice in Pleasant Falls, Tennessee. His Web site is www.TranquilFamily.com.

If you do not wish to refer to a Web site, you can try something like this: John Tranquil is a family therapist in practice in Pleasant Falls, Tennessee. He can be reached at 555-555-5555.

If you'd like to go for the super-deluxe version, write a longer byline and see if it passes muster with the editor. It might go like this: John Tranquil has been a family therapist in practice in Pleasant Falls, Tennessee, for 22 years. He has put together more than 100 previously estranged families through his unique style of counseling that is outlined in his upcoming book, Glue Your Family. Contact him by calling 555-555-5555.

The byline is the contact information, but remember to include clues in your article that reveal your products or services. Don’t sound like a commercial, though. You might use an anecdote like the following:

When Sue and Ralph came to see me for counseling, their son had sought emancipation at age 16 and had not contacted them since. After six months of working with the parents, I was able to bring the family back together by . . . etc.

Q: I submitted my nonfiction book to quite a few university presses some time ago. It’s possible that they rejected me because my writing wasn’t good enough, which may not be the case after I incorporated your editing suggestions. Is it okay to resubmit to the same presses?

A: It’s also possible that the first submission did not reach the right person or that the company had already filled its publishing calendar. Without feedback, you have no way of knowing the reason for rejection. I don’t know how long ago you submitted the manuscript, but if a year or more has passed and the newer version is much better, go ahead and resubmit. Treat it as if you never submitted it before. With the turnover rate in this business, chances are good the submission will reach a different person, anyway.

Q: I would like to know of a book or Web site that shows complete sentences in which a specified word is used. I have a good vocabulary and know how to use a thesaurus, but I’m fearful when it comes to promoting a word from my cognitive vocabulary to my active vocabulary; i.e., actually using a word I know in a sentence I write. (For example, I stepped out on a limb to use the word “cognitive.”)

A: First, never use a word in your writing that you wouldn't use in casual conversation, and you'll never go wrong.

Next, if you never stretch your own vocabulary, you won't grow, so after the first caution, I’ll add my favorite source: American Heritage Dictionary. It often, but not always, uses words in a sentence.

A third warning: When you look something up in a thesaurus, be cautious, because each word has its own connotation, and choosing a word from a list does not ensure that the exact meaning you intend will be relayed to the reader. One of my clients for whom English was not a native language, for example, wanted to impart excitement, so after referring to a thesaurus, he wrote, “Oh, no!” he ejaculated. Yes, the sentence and word use are both technically correct, but Americans more often use ejaculate to mean something other than exclaim, so the word choice was less than ideal. It did give this editor a chuckle, however.