In Business and Professional Writing, students get exceptionally clear and straightforward advice delivered with personality. The book is packed with realistic examples, and advises clarity, concision, courtesy, coherence, correctness, and positivity at every turn.
Guidelines and templates for business correspondence, formal and informal reports, promotional materials, job searching, and oral presentations are included. MacRae also offers advice on style, editing, and document design, and on information security and ethics. Exercises guide students through the process of creating and revising each genre, and helpful tips, reminders, and suggested resources are provided throughout.
The third edition has been revised and updated, with more material on cultural sensitivity and cross-cultural communication, as well as a new chapter covering digital writing, guidance on AI, and writing for social media.
I: The Basics of Strong Writing
- 1. Plain Language
- 2. The Seven Cs of Good Professional Communication
- 3. The Eighth C: Learning Grammar Language
- 4. Copy Editing
II: Document Design
- 5. Basic Document Design
- 6. Formatting for Correspondence
III: Correspondence
- 7. Emails, Memos, and Scans
- 8. Letters: Good News, Neutral, and Bad News
- 9. Persuasive Letters
IV: Writing for a Job
- 10. Cover Letters
- 11. Resumes
V: Promotional Materials
- 12. News Releases
- 13. Brochures
- 14. Digital Media and Marketing
VI: Oral Presentations
- 15. Individual Oral Presentations
- 16. Group Presentations
VII: Reports
- 17. Informal Reports
- 18. Formal Reports
- 19. Formal Proposal Report Example
- 20. Formal Report Example
Paul MacRae is a retired instructor of business and professional writing at the University of Victoria.
Joel Hawkes is an instructor of writing and literature at the University of Victoria.
Laura Fanning is a former university writing instructor, now an independent contractor specializing in workplace communications.
