the quiet power of the comma
It’s only a speck. A mark. A flick of ink or a pixel on a screen. The comma doesn’t ask for much — just a moment. A pause. A little breath.
But when it’s missing, it stands out.
Sometimes in small ways.
Sometimes in ways that feel enormous.
Take the old chestnut:
Let’s eat, Grandma.
Let’s eat Grandma.
It’s the kind of joke English teachers love — partly because it makes a good point, and partly because it lets them say something mildly unhinged in a classroom. But the message behind it is serious: punctuation isn’t just cosmetic. It’s structural. Tonal. Life-saving, even, if you’re Grandma.
You rarely notice the comma—until it’s missing or misplaced. Like sound design in a film. Or the brakes in your car.
And yet, in writing — especially in copywriting — it’s one of the most powerful tools we have.
A Comma Sets the Rhythm
Here’s the thing: writing isn’t just about what we say. It’s about how we say it.
The difference between:
We help businesses grow on their own terms.
We help businesses grow — on their own terms.
…is a pause. A beat. A shift in emphasis that changes the tone from corporate cliché to something a little more thoughtful. A little more human.
That’s what a comma (or a well-placed dash, or a deliberate full stop) can do. It gives shape to the sentence. Space to the idea. Time to the reader.
We read with our eyes, but we process with our ears. Good writing sounds right. It has rhythm, inflection, musicality. And commas are the rests in the score.
The Comma in the Brand
I called my practice words, by dan for a few reasons.
One is practical: it makes clear what I do and who I am.
But the comma in the middle? That’s the real heartbeat. It’s small, but it matters. It’s a pause that says:
These are words — by Dan.
Personal. Considered. Thought through.
The comma gives me room to breathe. And hopefully, it gives you room to feel something too.
That’s why my logo on LinkedIn and Instagram focuses on the comma — it’s the very essence of how I write.
What This Has to Do with Copywriting
If you’ve landed on this blog, chances are you care about how your business shows up in the world. You want your audience to get you. Not just hear your words, but actually feel what you’re trying to say.
That’s where the comma — and everything it represents — comes in.
Because effective copy isn’t about shouting the loudest. It’s about choosing the right words, and arranging them in the right order, with the right rhythm. It’s about sounding like you — on your best day, with your best foot forward.
The copy I write isn’t formulaic. It’s not just templates with adjectives swapped out. It’s bespoke. Intentional. Comma-conscious.
I’ll ask a lot of questions. I’ll try to understand not just your product or service, but your tone, your quirks, your audience’s fears and curiosities. And then I’ll write words that carry that truth forward — with clarity, personality, and enough breathing room for someone to lean in and care.
The Bigger Picture: Writing as Design
I sometimes think of writing as a form of interior design.
Anyone can put furniture in a room. But a good designer knows how to use space. How to let things breathe. How to guide the eye, invite a mood, make a place feel lived in.
Words work the same way.
A comma is negative space.
It’s permission to slow down.
It’s a signal that something matters — just enough to deserve a pause.
And when you’re trying to connect with someone (a customer, a client, a curious scroller), that moment of pause might be what keeps them reading.
So… Why Does Any of This Matter?
Because attention is finite. And people aren’t just scanning for information — they’re scanning for connection.
Whether you’re launching a brand, refreshing your website, or just trying to make your “About” page feel less like a boring Wikipedia entry, your words are doing more than relaying facts. They’re building trust. Evoking a feeling. Showing who you are when no one’s watching.
And when it comes to building trust? The quiet stuff — the punctuation, the tone, the rhythm — often says more than the headline.
In Closing,
I called my business words, by dan because that’s what I offer: words that are crafted, careful, and yours. With tone, thought, and yes, a well-placed comma.
So if you’re looking for a writer who cares as much about the spaces between words as the words themselves, we might be a good fit.
The comma’s already here.
All that’s missing is your story.
If you think we could work well together, please get in touch!
Stories Are The Thing 