Business Writing For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Introduction

Delivering your message well and being heard. What could be more important in today’s world, which demands that we connect and compete for what we want? When the second edition of this book was published just a few years ago, it didn’t seem necessary to talk about who needs to practice business writing. Business writing was assumed to mean writing for work purposes, typically in an office setting, but also encompassing independent contractors and professional specialists.

Today, who needs to write? Who doesn’t? We all stand on our own for everyday messaging to get the job done, build relationships and prevent and solve problems. We may need to create traditional materials like reports, proposals and marketing copy. And we typically aim to play a role in the online world and use websites, blogs, networking sites and/or social media to our advantage.

But we also need to write well for personal purposes. Do you want to be a good advocate for a cause you believe in — or yourself? Have you needed to write an effective letter of complaint when you were dissatisfied with a purchase, or write a good message when you needed a favor from a friend or relative or stranger? Have you ever competed for something important — like buying a home that other people wanted — by writing a good letter that explained why you were a perfect match? Did you know you could do that?

We’re all making our way today through a rapidly changing culture. This affects the role of writing, who uses it ...