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Letter Writing Handbook a 525247 FM.qxd 11/17/03 9:02 AM Page i Letter Writing Handbook Robert W. Bly a 525247 FM.qxd 11/17/03 9:02 AM Page iv a 525247 FM.qxd 11/17/03 9:02 AM Page i Letter Writing Handbook Robert W. Bly a 525247 FM.qxd 11/17/03 9:02 AM Page ii Webster’s New World™ Letter Writing Handbook Copyright © 2004 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permit- ted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 750-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4447, E-mail: [email protected]. Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, Webster’s New World, and the Webster’s New World logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Wiley Publishing, Inc., in the United States and other coun- tries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or com- pleteness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situa- tion. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993 or fax 317-572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the publisher. Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a 525247 FM.qxd 11/17/03 9:02 AM Page iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS hanks to my agents, Bob Diforio and Marilyn Allen, for bringing to me the oppor- Ttunity to write this book, and to my editors, Roxane Cerda, Helen Chin, and Suzanne Snyder, for making this manuscript much better than it was when it first crossed their desks. Thanks also to the many organizations and individuals who gave me permission to reprint their letters in this book. DEDICATION For Bob Diforio and Marilyn Allen. a 525247 FM.qxd 11/17/03 9:02 AM Page iv a 525247 FM.qxd 11/17/03 9:02 AM Page v TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . 1 PART I: Letter Writing Basics . 3 Prewriting Planning . 3 SAP: SUBJECT, AUDIENCE, PURPOSE . 4 GATHER INFORMATION . 5 MAKE A SIMPLE OUTLINE . 6 Twelve Rules for Better Letter Writing . 7 1. PRESENT YOUR BEST SELF . 7 2. WRITE IN A CLEAR, CONVERSATIONAL STYLE . 8 3. BE CONCISE . 8 4. BE CONSISTENT . 9 5. USE JARGON SPARINGLY . 10 6. AVOID BIG WORDS . 10 7. PREFER THE SPECIFIC TO THE GENERAL . 10 8. BREAK UP YOUR WRITING INTO SHORT SECTIONS . 11 9. USE VISUALS . 11 10. USE THE ACTIVE VOICE . 12 11. ORGANIZATION . 12 12. LENGTH . 14 Tone . 15 FORCEFUL TONE . 15 PASSIVE TONE . 15 PERSONAL TONE . 16 IMPERSONAL TONE . 16 Layouts and Supplies . 16 TYPE STYLES, FONTS, AND SIZES . 17 LETTERHEAD . 17 OUTER ENVELOPES . 19 STAMPS, METERS, PREPRINTED INDICIAS . 19 Letter Writing Advice from Lewis Carroll . 20 Persuasion in Print . 24 ATTENTION . 24 INTEREST . 25 DESIRE . 26 ACTION . 27 Special Considerations for Writing about Technology . 28 a 525247 FM.qxd 11/17/03 9:02 AM Page vi vi / Letter Writing Handbook PART II: Personal Correspondence . 33 Letters that Strengthen Relationships . 33 CONGRATULATIONS LETTERS . 34 THANK-YOU LETTERS . 35 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . 37 GET-WELL LETTERS . 39 LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE AND SYMPATHY . 40 LETTERS FROM THE HEART . 43 Information Letters . 44 HOLIDAY LETTERS . 44 PERSONAL UPDATES . 46 FORMAL INFORMATION LETTERS . 47 ALUMNI LETTERS . 49 Requests . 51 FAVOR REQUESTS . 51 INVITATIONS TO EVENTS . 52 LOCAL FUNDRAISING REQUESTS . 57 REFUSING A REQUEST . 58 LETTER GRANTING A REQUEST . 59 LETTERS TO YOUR LANDLORD . 60 Letters that Require Special Handling . 62 LETTER OF APOLOGY . 62 LETTER OF COMPLAINT . 64 MOTIVATION . 65 GIVING ADVICE . 67 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR . 68 LETTERS TO ELECTED OFFICIALS . 69 PART III: Career and Employment Letters . 71 Cover Letters and Job Inquiries . 71 EXPERIENCE-ORIENTED COVER LETTERS . 72 EXPERIENCE/ACHIEVEMENT-ORIENTED COVER LETTERS . 73 BENEFIT-ORIENTED COVER LETTERS . 75 CREATIVE COVER LETTERS . ..
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