If there's one thing I'm fussy about, it's syntax.  Commas don't belong wherever you'd naturally pause in a sentence; rather, there are strict rules governing their use. Ignoring those rules won't make you avant garde or postmodernist; it will simply make you look like you didn't pay attention in English Grammar class.

One thing I've noticed in my travels is that American publishers tend to be much more strict when it comes to grammar, especially in comparison with British publishers.  I remember my horror, as a student at a British university, when I discovered spelling errors in university-published texts.  The Queen's English seems to be much more slippery when it comes to the printed word, considering rules as mere conventions.

Luckily, journalists and copywriters - no matter what their nationality - have strict style guides to abide by.  That's why I was delighted to see TheWriter.com publish their style guide online.  Visit the link below to find out when to use "that" as opposed to "which" (a pet peeve that ranks up there with the misuse of "between" and "among"), whether to italicize or put quotes around titles of films and TV programs, when to spell out numbers (pay attention, Hello magazine), and more.

The Writer Style Guide