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Truth About the New Rules of Business Writing, The
- By Natalie Canavor, Claire Meirowitz
- Published Dec 16, 2009 by FT Press. Part of the Truth About series.
- Copyright 2010
- Dimensions: 5-7/16 x 8-1/2
- Pages: 224
- Edition: 1st
- Book
- ISBN-10: 0-13-715315-5
- ISBN-13: 978-0-13-715315-2
- eBook (Adobe DRM)
- ISBN-10: 0-13-701540-2
- ISBN-13: 978-0-13-701540-5
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Product Author Bios
Natalie Canavor has worked as a journalist, magazine editor, corporate communicator, and copywriter. She is currently a communications consultant and business writer whose publications, articles, Web sites, and video scripts earn international awards. Her features have appeared in a wide range of print and online media, including The New York Times. Earlier she created four national magazine start-ups and served as executive director of communications for New York State’s largest educational agency. She also authored a successful book on marketing for photographers and leads workshops on writing for results.
Claire Meirowitz, principal of Professional Editing Services, manages projects and edits print, e-letters, and Web materials for a nationwide client base in information technology and banking, among others. She is also a writer and publication editor who cofounded and edited several journals in the labor relations field and award-winning newsletters for the education industry. She formerly directed publication and community relations for SUNY College at Old Westbury, where she oversaw production of more than 400 publications annually.
Together, Natalie and Claire own C&M Business Writing Services, providing writing, editing, and project management to organizations. They also present business writing workshops and write a column on writing and editing for the International Association of Business Communicators’ online magazine, distributed internationally.
Give yourself a powerful competitive advantage by becoming a better business writer. Better writers get better jobs and more promotions; they persuade people through emails, Web sites, presentations, proposals, resumes, grant proposals, you name it. Businesses know this: that's why they spend $3 billion a year helping their employees become more effective writers. The Truth About the New Rules of Business Writing shows you how to master the art of effective business communication replacing the old standards of jargon, pomposity, and grammar drills with a simple, quick and conversational writing style. Authors Natalie Canavor and Claire Meirowitz demonstrate how to plan and organize your content; make your point faster; tell your readers what's in it for them; construct winning documents of every kind, print and electronic, even blog entries and text messages! The Truth about the New Rules of Business Writing brings together the field's best knowledge, and shows exactly how to put it to work. With an "aha" on every page, it presents information in a clear, accessible style that's easy to understand and use. Written in short chapters, it covers the entire field, cuts to the heart of every topic, pulls back the curtain on expert secrets, and pops the bubble of commonly-held assumptions. Simply put, this book delivers easy, painless writing techniques that work.
URL for Online Supplement
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
This Book is Universally Useful Right from Chapter One, By
This review is from: The Truth About the New Rules of Business Writing (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I got this book hoping to get some tips on writing for the Web and self-marketing but I got far more than I was hoping for. When I got this book I found myself reading through the first 6 or 7 chapters (or writing "Truths" as the authors call chapters) without intending to.It says something when you pick up a book to flip through, and find yourself drawn, page by page, through the first 6 chapters. But it says even more when find yourself using the suggestions literally an hour after reading them. After I was forced to put the book down and go to work, I found myself recalling two very specific rules when writing emails. The first was to "Cut to the chase" and put the bottom line at the top, which is brilliant since it put what people needed to know on line one. It was un-missable. I was impressed how quickly these "Truths" came back to me. The authors laid out 52 "Truths" in a concise and digestible format. Many are themed on very basic ideas, which... Read more
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Lots of choices in this field of writing: choosing this one is flat out smart!, By
This review is from: The Truth About the New Rules of Business Writing (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
This compact volume offers plenty to differentiate itself from the scores of other similar offerings promising an express ride to clear business writing. Natalie Canavor and Claire Meirowitz take on the complex world of Information Age business writing, and break it down into 52 manageable, readable chunks of theory and practice. They address both modern options (email, blogs and web writing and the ubiquitous challenges of PowerPoint) and "legacy" modes.You've heard much of this before, and they don't break what I would consider any significant new ground. But their message bears listening to again: Consider your audience. Re-write. Edit mercilessly. Be direct. Be concise. Have a plan. Their packaging is relatively painless for content that many people may want to run and hide from. While dividing the content into 52 sections may suggest chewing in weekly bites...don't wait. Their ideas are well organized, illustrated with realistic examples, and can help even the... Read more
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Valuable Guide,
This review is from: The Truth About the New Rules of Business Writing (Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The authors practice what they preach in making every word count in this short guide. Chapters are brief and to the point with 52 truths or writing points laid out under 9 main parts. Bulleted items and headers in red or bold guide the eye to important elements in each chapter. I especially liked the before and after examples where the authors showed how to make writing that was okay or inappropriate into writing that was excellent. Everything in this valuable reference work is relevant in today's fast changing world of business and communication. Some of the topics covered are letters, emails, web content, grants, and reports and proposals. You can't get what you want if you can't communicate effectively and this book will go a long way toward showing you what you need to make your case.Authors Natalie Canavor and Claire Meirowitz communicate their message in an easy to read style with the material so well organized that readers will easily find what they need, whether... Read more |
Online Sample Chapter
The Truth About the New Rules of Business Writing: Most People Aim for the Wrong Target
Sample Pages
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Table of Contents
Introduction xi
Part I The truth about what makes writing work
TRUTH 1 Most people aim for the wrong target 1
TRUTH 2 If you can say it, you can write it 5
TRUTH 3 Forget yesterday--write for today 9
TRUTH 4 Planning is the magic ingredient 13
TRUTH 5 To achieve your goal, look below its surface 17
TRUTH 6 Cut to the chase: Put the bottom line on top 21
TRUTH 7 “Me”-focused messages fail 25
TRUTH 8 People are not the same: Write for differences 29
TRUTH 9 Tone makes--or breaks--your message 33
TRUTH 10 Knowing your inside story is the key 37
TRUTH 11 Forget outlines--organize your thinking 41
TRUTH 12 How to organize is a personal choice 45
TRUTH 13 Every message you send has a psychological impact 49
TRUTH 14 Effective messages lead with strength 53
TRUTH 15 To succeed, cover your ground and remember “the ask” 57
TRUTH 16 Your goal and audience determine the best way to communicate 61
Part II The truth about self-editing
TRUTH 17 The best writers don’t write; they rewrite 65
TRUTH 18 Rhythm and transitions make writing move 69
TRUTH 19 Less can be a whole lot more 73
TRUTH 20 Passive thinking and jargon undermine clarity 77
TRUTH 21 You don’t need grammar drills to spot your writing problems 81
Part III The truth about successful e-mail
TRUTH 22 Use e-mail to communicate in the fast lane--powerfully 85
TRUTH 23 Good subject lines say, “Open sesame” 89
TRUTH 24 Know your e-mail do’s and don’ts 93
TRUTH 25 Writing good progress reports is worth your time 97
Part IV The truth about letters
TRUTH 26 Letters: They live! And you need them 101
TRUTH 27 Letters build relationships 105
TRUTH 28 Cover letters matter, big time 109
Part V The truth about reports and proposals
TRUTH 29 Good reports generate action 113
TRUTH 30 Organizing complex projects isn’t that hard 117
TRUTH 31 Well-crafted proposals win 121
TRUTH 32 The letter format lets you shortcut proposals 125
TRUTH 33 Root grant applications in “mission”--yours and the funder’s 129
Part VI The truth about Web sites
TRUTH 34 Writing is the missing factor in your competitors’ Web sites 133
TRUTH 35 Web sites built on keywords and content build traffi c 137
TRUTH 36 A home page must crystallize who you are 141
Part VII The truth about new media
TRUTH 37 Blogging and social media are powerful business tools 145
TRUTH 38 To blog for yourself, be yourself, but carefully 149
TRUTH 39 Good business blogging is edgy 153
TRUTH 40 Tweeting and texting: the ultimate self-edit challenge 157
TRUTH 41 E-letters focus marketing and reinforce branding 161
TRUTH 42 Good PowerPoint is more than pretty faces: It starts with writing 165
Part VIII The truth about writing to self-market
TRUTH 43 Strong resumes focus on accomplishments, not responsibilities 169
TRUTH 44 Fliers are easy all-purpose promotional tools 173
TRUTH 45 It pays to think PR and send news releases 177
TRUTH 46 Writing articles boosts your career 181
TRUTH 47 The virtual world offers self-publishing power 185
Part IX The truth about tricks of the trade
TRUTH 48 Good headlines help your writing work--a lot 189
TRUTH 49 Skillful interviewing is a major (but unrecognized) business asset 193
TRUTH 50 Readers are global: Try not to confuse them 197
TRUTH 51 Clarity is next to godliness 201
TRUTH 52 You can fix your own grammar goofs 205
Online-only content
References
Creating a style sheet
Resources
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