The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course in Business Writing and Communication, Second Edition / Edition 2

by Kenneth W. Davis

Overview

Supercharge your writing skills . . . by the end of the week!

In the workplace, your writing speaks volumes about you. Whether you’re crafting a three-line message or a 300-page report, you need to write in a polished, professional way—regardless of your position or profession.

The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course in Business Writing and Communication puts you on the fast track to becoming a strong, persuasive business writer. Complete with exercises, self-tests, and an online final exam, this multifaceted business writing “course” teaches you how to:

• SEIZE READERS’ INTEREST INSTANTLY
• ELIMINATE NONSPECIFIC WORDS AND PHRASES
• MANAGE CROSS-CULTURAL WRITING
• CRAFT COMPELLING ONLINE COPY
• CREATE POWERFUL PRESENTATIONS

Present yourself at the top of your game in every e-mail, memo, report, and presentation with The McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Course in Business Writing and Communication!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780071738262
Publisher:	McGraw Hill LLC
Publication date:	03/18/2010
Series:	McGraw-Hill 36-Hour Courses
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.06(h) x 0.63(d)

About the Author

Kenneth W. Davis, Ph.D., has conducted training and consulting for business and government on four continents. His clients have included the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, the Republic of Botswana, and the International Monetary Fund. Davis is past president of the Association of Professional Communication Consultants.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction: Manage Your Writing 1

Be Your Own Communication Department 3

Writing in a Knowledge Economy 8

What a Writing Course Can-and Can't-Do 12

How to Use This Book 16

"The Discipline of the Craft" 17

Managing Your Writing Time 18

The Law of the Next Action 21

The 12 Steps 23

Manage Your Writing 25

Manage Your Writing Today 26

Chapter 1 Find the "We": Manage Your Relationship with Your Reader 27

Communication and Community 30

Personality 32

Attitude 35

Circumstances 38

Knowledge 41

Manage Your Writing Today 45

Chapter 2 Make Holes, Not Drills: Manage with Purpose 47

Death to Subject Lines 50

Ko and Mei Communication 53

The Long and Short of It 54

The Corporate Communication Grid 56

Manage Your Writing Today 61

Chapter 3 Get Your Stuff Together: Manage Your Information 63

Asking Questions 65

Outside and Inside 68

Map Your Information 70

Manage Your Writing Today 73

Chapter 4 Get Your Ducks in a Row: Manage Your Structure 75

An Everyday Example 78

The Technique of Organizing 81

Formulas 82

Writing to Sell 87

From Information to Knowledge 90

Manage Your Writing Today 94

Chapter 5 Do It Wrong the First Time: Manage Your Drafting 97

Draft as Prototype 98

Debriefing the Exercise 101

Overcoming Writer's Block 102

Writing and "Flow" 103

Manage Your Writing Today 106

Chapter 6 Take a Break and Change Hats: Manage Your Internal Writer and Editor 109

Breaking for Objectivity 110

From Writer-Based to Reader-Based 113

The Two Hats 115

Manage Your Writing Today 122

Chapter 7 Signal Your Turns: Manage Your Paragraphs 125

Tools for Revision 127

Turn Signals 129

Manage Your Writing Today 140

Chapter 8 Say What You Mean: Manage Your Subjects and Verbs 143

Hidden Subjects 145

Hidden Verbs 146

Hidden Subjects and Verbs 148

Active or Passive 149

Modifiers 151

Manage Your Writing Today 156

Chapter 9 Pay by the Word: Manage Your Sentence Economy 159

Objectivity and Common Sense 162

Two Tools 164

Beckwith on Economy 165

Manage Your Writing Today 168

Chapter 10 Translate into English: Manage Your Word Choices 171

Learning from the IRS 173

Word Histories 176

Good Reasons Otherwise 181

Readability Formulas and Style Checkers 184

Deliberate "Obfuscation"? 186

Three Examples 188

Manage Your Writing Today 192

Chapter 11 Finish the Job: Manage Your Spelling, Punctuation, and Mechanics 195

Manage Your Writing Today 202

Chapter 12 Manage Your Writing: Evaluate Your Writing Process 205

Manage Your Writing Today 206

Appendix A Manage Your Online Writing 209

Appendix B Manage Your Global Writing: The Case of the Belgian Fries 217

Appendix C Manage Your Speaking 223

Appendix D Resources for Managing Your Writing 229

Index 233