How to Write It: Complete Guide to Everything You'll Ever Write [Paperback]

Sandra E. Lamb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2006 | ISBN-10: 1580085725 | ISBN-13: 978-1580085724 | Edition: 2 Revised

Even the simplest notes can trigger procrastination, deliberation, and frustration in all of us. Thankfully, writing expert Sandra Lamb is here to provide tips for writing virtually all communications: emails, resumes, thank-you notes, collection letters, grant proposals, letters of complaint, press releases, and much more.

• An improved and expanded edition of the essential reference on restoring personality, civility, and grace back to business and personal communications.

• Geared toward today's edgier and more competitive business landscape.

• Includes twice as many models as the previous edition and new chapters on applying for jobs via email, writing business plans, creating book proposals, and drafting letters of apology and condolence.

• Previous edition sold 60,000 copies.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Whether you seek protocol on accepting a formal invitation, turning down a job offer, challenging your credit record, writing a condolence letter, or penning a collection letter, How to Write It can help. With precision and humor, Sandra E. Lamb provides reliable guidance on all forms of written correspondence; for each type of communication, she considers such issues as content, wrong messages (how to eliminate them), format, effective writing, and editing. What in other hands might have been a dry reference manual takes on its own personality in the hands of this competent stylist. Lamb's advice for writing a memo, for instance, includes "Don't use an autocratic tone," "Don't assign blame," "Don't whine," "Don't pad," "Don't hedge," and "Don't use officious, stuffy, or formal words." Lamb is part etiquette adviser and part good-business guru. Perhaps her guide's most important message is that the general decline of written communication both socially and in business actually benefits those who still rely on it, as its impact is even greater than it once was. --Jane Steinberg --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Chock-full of model letters for virtually every occasion, it¹s a must-have addition for your reference shelf. -- Jan Collins, editor, Business & Economic Review

I never thought the written word was started with a book. Don't miss the resume writing tools. -- Jeff Taylor, CEO of Eons.com and founder of Monster.com

This is an extraordinary book. A reference manual so comprehensive, yet so simple, it reads like a novel. -- Richard Nelson Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press; 2 Revised edition (July 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580085725
• ISBN-13: 978-1580085724
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.9 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #457,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I started professional life as a technical writer and quickly learned that the ability to effectively communicate--and on deadline--is not related to genius. Many of the engineers I worked with were brilliant, but struggled when it came to expressing in writing what they knew. The same is true, I quickly found, in all levels of management.

I determined that a book that gives some simple answers, and lots of examples, would help with this sort of common "writer's block;" and for everyone it would serve to save lots and lots of time for all those writing tasks--business and personal--they faced. That was my motivation for writing How to Write It. And in refining that motivation and making it even more all-inclusive, I wrote a second edition, and now How to Write It Third Edition.

Along the way, I've written Personal Notes, then Write the Right Words, too, because I wanted to give voice to that mysterious element of self-discovery, reflection, and connecting that's possible--to both the writer and the recipient--through this very intimate way of communicating.

I've honed my own writing skills working as a journalist, a marketing and PR expert, CEO, friend, and relative in those daily demands of each. I often write and speak on matters of career, relationships, writing, lifestyle, and etiquette. For more information, please visit, www.SandraLamb.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stuff you won't find elsewhere, very handy, July 17, 2000

By 

Susan K. Perry "Susan K. Perry" (Los Angeles, author of LOVING IN FLOW (BunnyApe.com)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything You'll Ever Write (Paperback)

How to Write It is written by an experienced writer who knows what she's talking about. It's especially worth seeking out for some of the templates it features, including several related to public relations projects (for example, how to write a pitch letter, press release, and backgrounder). Lots of social and job-search related guidance, for those whose skills in those areas are rusty from disuse. And for the young person or the beginner, plenty of help with how to write invitations, thank-you's, all kinds of things someone should have taught us, but probably didn't (or were we all absent the same day?). Easy to use.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Put this book next to your dictionary, April 22, 2001

By 

"lisasprice" (Albuquerque, NM USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything You'll Ever Write (Paperback)

This is one of those books that is so incredibly useful and so easy to read, you have to wonder why no one thought to write one like it before now. I got the book to check out the email section, but was literally thunderstruck by all of the other fantastic writing examples and templates. I think this would be a great book to give a graduate, because it has examples for writing many of life's "must-to's", such as thank you notes, condolences, credit inquiries and a lot more. I'm a writer, but even I get "writer's block" sometimes. This book is a real gem.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, March 5, 2002

By 

Miss Jane "book girl" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything You'll Ever Write (Paperback)

This book proves that even the most experienced writer can still benefit from outside guidance! I have written business correspondence througout my career, and have recently taken a position that requires almost nothing BUT writing. Being inspired 8 hours per day, 5 days per week can be a bit overwhelming, but in the first three weeks on the job I have turned to this book AT LEAST once a week, and have found wonderful suggestions for a sympathy note, employment candidate rejection letter, fundraising appeal, you name it! I am happy to have this book on my shelf! Don't hesitate to buy!