Synopses & Reviews
The Business Writer's Companion is the best guide to the business writing essentials that help students land, navigate, and stand out on the job. Affordable and concise, its a comprehensive reference that covers the writing process and features more than 60 real-world sample documents. The seventh edition retains the book's intuitive, easy-to-use organization while adding new coverage of social media, and new e-Pages take advantage of what the Web can do with useful digital tips and sample documents. Anticipating the needs of todays business writers, this is a reference with real-world value, usefully building skills that students carry into their professional careers.
Synopsis
PACKAGE THIS TITLE WITH OUR 2016 MLA SUPPLEMENT, Documenting Sources in MLA Style (package ISBN-13: 9781319088644). Get the most recent updates on MLA citation in a convenient, 40-page resource based on The MLA Handbook, 8th Edition, with plenty of models. Browse our catalog or contact your representative for a full listing of updated titles and packages, or to request a custom ISBN.
The Business Writer's Companion is the best guide to the business writing essentials that help students land, navigate, and stand out on the job. Affordable and concise, it's a comprehensive reference that covers the writing process and features more than 60 real-world sample documents. The seventh edition retains the book's intuitive, easy-to-use organization while adding new coverage of social media, and new e-Pages take advantage of what the Web can do with useful digital tips and sample documents. Anticipating the needs of today's business writers, this is a reference with real-world value, usefully building skills that students carry into their professional careers.
About the Author
Gerald J. Alred is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he teaches courses in the Professional Writing Program. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and several standard bibliographies on business and technical communication, and is a founding member of the editorial board of the
Journal of Business and Technical Communication. He is a recipient of the prestigious Jay R. Gould Award for "profound scholarly and textbook contributions to the teaching of business and technical writing."
Charles T. Brusaw was a faculty member at NCR Corporation's Management College, where he developed and taught courses in professional writing, editing, and presentation skills for the corporation worldwide. Previously, he worked in advertising, technical writing, public relations, and curriculum development. He has been a communications consultant, an invited speaker at academic conferences, and a teacher of business writing at Sinclair Community College.
Walter E. Oliu served as chief of the Publishing Services Branch at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where he managed the agencys printing, graphics, editing, and publishing programs. He also developed the public-access standards for and managed daily operations of the agencys public Web site. He has taught at Miami University of Ohio, Slippery Rock State University, and as an adjunct faculty member at Montgomery College and George Mason University. His books include Writing That Works, Tenth Edition (reprinted chapters appear in Kevin J. Hartys Strategies for Business and Technical Writing, Fifth Edition, , and Brenda D. Smith and Laura C. Headleys The Lifelong Reader, Second Edition); The Handbook of Technical Writing, Ninth Edition; The Business Writers Handbook, Ninth eEdition (Fortune and Book-of-the-Month Club selections); The Business Writers Companion, Sixth Edition; The Technical Writers Companion, Third Edition; Writing from A-Z, Fifth Edition; and The Professional Writer.
Table of Contents
*indicates e-PagesFive Steps to Successful Writing Tab 1. The Writing Process
*Reviewing Collaborative Documents*Using Collaborative Software*Using Wikis for Collaborative Work*Creating an Outline*Proofreading for Format Consistency*Incorporating Tracked Changesaudience 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
*Professional E-mail*Assessing Hardware, Software, and Applications*Sharing Electronic Files*Synchronizing Information*Using PDF Filesadapting to new technologies blogs and forums e-mail FAQs (frequently asked questions) instant messaging repurposing selecting the mediumsocial media text messaging Web design writing for the Web
Tab 3. Research and Documentation
*Report with Sourcesbibliographies copyright documenting sources interviewing for information note-taking paraphrasing plagiarism quotations
research
Tab 4. Correspondence*Modified-Block-Style Letteracknowledgments adjustments complaints correspondence cover letters inquiries and responses international correspondence letters memos refusals
sales letters
Tab 5. Business Writing Documents and Elements*Feasibility Report*Digitally Enhancing Formal Reportsfeasibility reports incident reportsinvestigative reportsprogress and activity reports proposals reports titles trip reports
trouble reports (see incident reports)Tab 6. Formal Reports*Report Presented as a Web Site*Creating Styles and Templates*Creating an Indexabstracts appendixes executive summaries formal reports glossaries
tables of contents
Tab 7. Design and Visuals*Report with Figuresdrawingsflowchartsglobal graphicsgraphsheadingslayout and designlistsorganizational chartstables
visualsTab 8. Presentations and Meetings*Presentation Slides*Scheduling Meetings Online*Conducting Online Meetingslistening meetings minutes of meetings
presentations Tab
9. Job Search and Application*Application Cover Letteracceptance / refusals (for employment)application cover letters interviewing for a job job search
résumés
Tab 10. Style and Clarityabstract / 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 plain languagepositive writing repetition sentence variety subordination telegraphic style tone transition unity vague words word choice
"you" viewpoint
Tab 11. GrammarTab 12. Punctuation and MechanicsAppendix: Usage