The AMA Handbook of Business Writing

Overview

An indispensible desktop reference for every business professional!
Just because you're not a born writer doesn't mean you should settle for less than perfect business documents. After all, every piece you write reflects directly on the quality of the product or service your business offers. Now, this helpful guide takes the guesswork out of more than 50 commonly used business documents, including:

Reports • Proposals • Business plans • Presentations • Press releases • Memos • Email • Newsletters • Collection Letters • Sales materials • And more

Arranged alphabetically and cross-referenced for easier use, the book presents clear examples of how to (and how not to) create winning materials every time. The authors' step-by-step instructions begin with an overview of the writing process, from preparation and research right through to final review and publication. Sample documents show you how your pieces should look and read, and close to 300 individual entries cover key points of grammar, style and spelling, and present strategies for writing more clearly, avoiding bias, eliminating clich?s, and much more.

About the Author

KEVIN WILSON (Acworth, GA) is a writer, instructional designer, training consultant and Vice President of Videologies, Inc., a company that specializes in training administrative professionals.

JENNIFER WAUSON (Acworth, GA) is a training consultant, project manager, and President of Videologies, Inc. They are the authors of Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook (978-0-8144-0913-8).

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Review Quotes

"A highly relevant, reasonably priced, and authoritative work; an essential purchase for most libraries and a likely boon to patrons with an entrepreneurial spirit." --Library Journal

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Cover Copy

With more than 800 alphabetical entries and nearly 100 sample documents, The AMA Handbook of Business Writing gives you quick, accessible guidelines to the entire writing process, from using correct grammar and style to formatting your document for clarity to writing effectively for a target audience.

Far more comprehensive than the vast majority of business writing guides, yet infinitely easier to grasp than standard tomes like The Chicago Manual of Style, this is a remarkably comprehensive reference—and remarkably easy to pinpoint the information you need to complete any writing project, whether it's an annual report, newsletter, press release, business plan, grant proposal, training manual, PowerPoint presentation, or piece of formal correspondence.

Prepared by the founders of a successful corporate communications consulting firm and authors of the best-selling Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook, this book is designed for businesspeople of every stripe, from marketing managers to human resources directors, from technical writers to public relations professionals, from administrative assistants to sales managers.

Peek inside to survey the unprecedented scope of information, all presented in a simple A-to-Z format, with clear examples, helpful cross-references, easy-to-emulate sample documents, and step-by-step guidelines. The AMA Handbook of Business Writing is a classic reference you'll consult every time you write.

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Jacket Copy

When it comes to writing, do you know how many businesspeople are just winging it? Almost everyone! And it shows in sloppy grammar, incomprehensible language, poorly structured documents, shoddy research, and downright ugly formatting. Whether it's a simple business letter or a hefty annual report, poor writing looks bad for the organization, and it really looks bad for the person producing it.

Help is now here. The AMA Handbook of Business Writing is a complete A-to-Z reference on everything you need to produce top-quality documents. Offering the expansive breadth of information found in The Chicago Manual of Style, but without the excessive detail and complexity, you'll find here more than 600 pages of instantly accessible, thoroughly useful information for getting any job done. You'll be able to:

• Find instant answers to hundreds of style and grammar questions, such as which words to abbreviate, whether to use "who's? or "whose,? where to place an adverb, what to capitalize, when to use a comma, which words denote bias, and much more.

• Take advantage of useful guidelines for moving your document from inception to completion, including how to conduct the essential background work of brainstorming and researching, all the way through to final review and publication.

• Transform a long, disorganized text into a professional, polished document, including advice on how to create charts or graphs to support understanding, and format headings and subheads to enhance readability.

• Get dozens of samples of expert writing—from fundraising letters and marketing brochures to business plans and proposals— along with guidelines and checklists for preparing your own.

With examples and cross-references throughout, the monumental, easy-access The AMA Handbook of Business Writing is an indispensable desktop reference for every business professional.

Kevin Wilson is a writer, instructional designer, training consultant, and vice president of Videologies, Inc., a company that specializes in training administrative professionals. His programs have won numerous awards and been translated into twelve languages.

Jennifer Wauson is a training consultant, project manager, and president of Videologies, Inc. She has produced award-wining multimedia training programs for companies such as IBM, Sony, Chevron, and HP.

They are the authors of the best-selling Administrative Assistant's and Secretary's Handbook, now in its third edition.

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Table of Contents

Contents

SECTION 1: THE WRITING PROCESS

SECTION 2: THE BUSINESS WRITER'S ALPHABETICAL REFERENCE

SECTION 3: SAMPLE BUSINESS DOCUMENTS

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