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Be a Brilliant Business Writer by Jane Curry and Diana Young
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Be a Brilliant Business Writer

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Be a Brilliant Business Writer by Jane Curry and Diana Young
Paperback $14.99
Oct 05, 2010 | ISBN 9781580082228

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    Oct 05, 2010 | ISBN 9781580082228

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Product Details

Praise

“Writing for business is a literary form that is full of specific industry styles and rules, which authors Curry and Young decode in this new book. They are the owners of Chicago-based Curry Young Consultants Inc., which provides business writing and editing training to Fortune 500 companies. This book is a compilation of what they teach during those training sessions and is the epitome of user-friendly with lots of examples and easy-to-read bulleted lists of writing tips. The chapters, with titles such as “If you need to write for senior management” or “If you need to convey bad news,” are broken down by the type of writing described in the section.”
—Courtney Crowder, Chicago Tribune reporter, 12/10/10

“You may think you know how to write, but stringing words together is only part of the process, especially in business. They have to be effective. Costco member Jane Curry and Diana Young, in their book, Be a Brilliant Business Writer: Write Well, Write Fast, and Whip the Competition (Ten Speed Press, 2010), offer valuable insights for anyone who finds the art of written communication necessary in the workplace. For instance, if you want to write persuasively (Chapter 1), master five principles:
1. Organize so your key points are clear.
2. Include only relevant content.
3. Make sure readers actually read and respond to what you have written.
4. Write clearly and concisely.
5. Write with the right tone.
If you’re thinking, “That’s fine, but how do I do that?,” this book’s for you.”
—Costco Connection, November 2010

“…if you’re looking to punch up your business communications, it’s no doubt a good investment.”
—BTripp’s Books LiveJournal, 11/21/10

“Curry Young accomplished everything they promised. I got my weekends back, and the firm’s productivity improved by over 15%! Curry Young’s expertise directly contributed to our bottom line.”
—Mike Litwin, former Chief Risk Officer, Merrill Lynch Capital
 
“In the end, it’s the client’s opinion that matters most; Curry Young’s program helped us focus on the reader, not the writer—and that made all the difference.”
—Bernard Del Rey, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley Institutional Advisory Group
 
“This book is long overdue. Every time I’m tempted to use the subjunctive tense (‘I would like to thank you for . . .’), I remember their admonishment: ‘Why not just say thank you? It’s short and sweet and to the point.’ Thank you, Jane and Diana!” 
—Scott Bates, former EVP, JPMorgan Chase

Table Of Contents

Introduction ix
 
Chapter 1:
If you want to write persuasively 1
 
Chapter 2:
If you want readers to actually read and respond to what you’ve written 13
 
Chapter 3:
If you want to write clearly and concisely 38
 
Chapter 4:
If you want to write with the right tone 51
 
Chapter 5:
If you think you should write the way you talk 57
 
Chapter 6:
If you want to make your writing flow 61
 
Chapter 7:
If you want your business writing to be more creative 70
 
Chapter 8:
If you think you have to create a formal outline before you start writing 72
 
Chapter 9:
If you know what you want to say but aren’t sure
where to start 73
 
Chapter 10:
If you need to write for senior management 80
 
Chapter 11:
If you need to share technical information 87
 
Chapter 12:
If you want to write procedures people can actually follow 97
 
Chapter 13:
If you don’t want your email to land you in jail or lose you your job 106
 
Chapter 14:
If you need to convey bad news 110
 
Chapter 15:
If you want to write financial documents that work for senior management  117
 
Chapter 16:
If you want to write persuasive PowerPoint presentations 136
 
Chapter 17:
If you want to write executive summaries, sales letters, and email that increase your win ratio 148
 
Chapter 18:
If you want to send a thank-you or a follow-up note 169
 
Chapter 19:
If you want to write resumes and cover lettersthat will get you noticed—in a good way 176
 
Chapter 20:
If you want to know when an email isn’t the best political choice 187
 
Chapter 21:
If you want to make the leap from academic to business writing without self-destructing 190
 
Chapter 22:
If you want to make sure your writing is right 201
 
Endnotes 204
 
Acknowledgments 207
 
Index 209

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