How to Write Reports and Proposals [Paperback]

Janis Fisher Chan (Author), Diane Lutovich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1998

Who needs this book? Anyone who writes or edits reports or proposals, including technical reports, marketing reports, funding proposals, R&D reports, financial reports, and responses to RFP's. HOW TO WRITE REPORTS AND PROPOSALS is a complete training program that can be used as self-study, as the text for classes, as a "refresher," or to conduct tutorials. You'll learn practical techniques and strategies you can use immediately to plan and write reports and proposals that include the right information, organized in the right way. You'll find clear examples and explanations as well as practice exercises with immediate feedback and suggestions for applying techniques to job-related writing projects.

When you finish this book, you'll be able to:

* Get started by evaluating readers; clarifying the readers' most important question; and identifying report sections

* Determine what information to include in each report section and organize it logically

* Use lists, charts, graphs and visuals to communicate information efficiently

* Write useful headings and subheadings that give readers a "road map" through the document

* Write effective introductions and report summaries

* Use concise, precise, active, accurate language that communicates clearly to specific readers

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book gave me a process for writing reports and proposals that are clear, concise and professional. This step-by-step system has saved me hours of time. Not only can I get started more easily, I know how to decide what information to include and organize it so readers can follow my points and find details quickly. -- An Account Manager, Kaiser Permanente

About the Author

ADVANCED COMMUNICATION DESIGNS, INC. was founded to help people improve their business, professional and technical writing skills. Since 1980, Janis Fisher Chan and Diane Lutovich have taught writing skills to people in corporations, the professions, small businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit institutions. Our clients include KPMG Peat Marwick, the Bank of America, Fair Isaac, State Farm Insurance, the Federal Home Loan Bank, Bayer Corporation, Consumers' Union, Harding Lawson Associates, and many others. We're also on the faculty of the University of California Business Extension.

JANIS FISHER CHAN, M.A., co-author of four self-study workbooks, "Professional Writing Skills," "Grammar for Grownups," "Writing Performance Documentation," and "How to Write Reports and Proposals," is an expert in training program design and a skilled classroom teacher. She has developed and conducted a wide variety of classroom programs and self-study training materials. Her areas of specialty include business and technical writing; performance management and appraisal; planning and conducting meetings; managing projects; and interpersonal communication. In 1980, she co-founded Advanced Communication Designs, Inc., a training company that specializes in developing and conducting customized courses in business and technical writing, performance management, and other subjects. She is an instructor for the University of California Business Extension. Janis Fisher Chan is also the author of "Inventing Ourselves Again: Women in Midlife," published by Sibyl Publications, and the co-author, with Linda Mukai, of "Living With Dying: A Personal Journey," published by Butterfield Press.

DIANE LUTOVICH, M.A., co-author of four self-study workbooks, "Professional Writing Skills," "Grammar for Grownups," "Writing Performance Documentation," and "How to Write Reports and Proposals," is a professional writer and educator who has been a consultant to schools and businesses for over 20 years. A specialist in needs assessment and instructional design, she has developed a wide range of learning programs and instructional materials on technical and nontechnical subjects. In 1980, she co-founded Advanced Communication Designs, Inc., a training company that specializes in developing and conducting customized courses in business and technical writing, performance management, and other subjects. She is an instructor for the University of California Business Extension. In addition to her work in training and business publishing, Diane Lutovich is a poet, most recently published in the "Barnaby Mountain Review," "Lilith Magazine," and "The Atlanta Review." She is currently writing a book on grown children and parental loss.

Product Details

• Paperback: 171 pages
• Publisher: Advanced Communication Designs, Incorporated (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963745557
• ISBN-13: 978-0963745552
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,350,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helped Me Develop Reports, November 4, 2004

By 

Michelle Black (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Write Reports and Proposals (Paperback)

I was looking for ideas to deliver a stronger written report. This book gave me great suggestions for presenting my ideas with graphs and charts. More importantly, it helped me think about how to organize my key points and communicate clearly and effectively. - Michelle Black

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A very helpful book, November 9, 2004

By 

G. Madway - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Write Reports and Proposals (Paperback)

I'd recommend this book over any training course. It takes you all the way through the process, from planning to finishing touches. Very useful for crafting clear and concise reports.

7 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grant and funding proposals made simple, December 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Write Reports and Proposals (Paperback)

If you're on the prowl for funding and feeling insecure about how to present yourself to the people who give money away, take a look at this handbook. Don't let the stodgy name fool you - it works in the real world. For me, it explained how to figure out what funders and grant people want to know and how to present the information in a simple and convincing format. The proposals I wrote this year after I went through the book are definitely more readable. So far, we've gotten all but one of the grants we applied for.