Business Writer's Companion » (5th Edition)

GERALD J. ALREDis professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he teaches courses in professional writing and directs the Graduate Certificate Program in International Technical Communication. He received the 2004 Jay R. Gould Award for Excellence in Teaching Technical Communication from the Society for Technical Communication.

CHARLES T. BRUSAW is a business-writing consultant for corporations worldwide. He worked for twenty years as a technical writer for the NCR Corporation and has also worked in advertising, public relations, and curriculum development.

WALTER E. OLIU until recently served as Chief of the Publishing Services Branch at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He is a communications consultant in the Washington, D.C. area and has taught at Miami University of Ohio, Slippery Rock State University, and Montgomery College.

All three are co-authors of The Business Writer's Handbook, Ninth Edition; the Handbook of Technical Writing, Ninth Edition; and Writing That Works, Tenth Edition.

The Business Writer's Companion is an easy-access guide to the most common types of business writing and communication by a dedicated author team with decades of combined academic and professional experience. It places writing in a real-world context with hundreds of business writing topics and more than 60 sample documents. Always anticipating the needs of today's business writers, the sixth edition includes updated information on the technologies that are integral to workplace writing and offers tips about professionalism.

Five Steps to Successful Writing

Tab 1. The Writing Process

audience collaborative writing conclusions context defining terms description ethics in writing global communication introductions organization outlining paragraphs persuasion point of view preparation process explanation promotional writing proofreading purpose readers revision scope writing a draft

*Tab 2. Workplace Technology

*adapting to new technologies
*blogs/forums e-mail

*FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
instant messaging
*repurposing selecting the medium
*text messaging Web design writing for the Web

Tab 3. Research and Documentation

bibliographies copyright documenting sources interviewing for information note-taking paraphrasing plagiarism quotations research

Tab 4. Business Writing Documents and Elements

feasibility reports investigative reports progress and activity reports proposals reports titles trip reports trouble reports

Tab 5. Formal Reports

abstracts appendixes executive summaries formal reports glossaries tables of contents

Tab 6. Design and Visuals

drawings flowcharts global graphics graphs headings layout and design lists organizational charts tables visuals

Tab 7. Correspondence

acknowledgments adjustments complaints correspondence covers (or transmittals)
inquiries and responses international correspondence letters memos refusals sales letters

Tab 8. Job Search and Application

acceptance/refusals application letters interviewing for a job job search résumés

Tab 9. Presentations and Meetings

listening meetings minutes of meetings presentations

Tab 10. Style and Clarity

abstract / concrete words affectation awkwardness biased language business writing style buzzwords clichés coherence compound words conciseness connotation / denotation emphasis euphemisms expletives figures of speech garbled sentences idioms intensifiers jargon logic errors nominalizations parallel structure positive writing repetition sentence variety subordination telegraphic style tone transition unity vague words word choice
“you” viewpoint

Tab 11. Grammar

Tab 12. Punctuation and Mechanics

*Appendix: Usage
 
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