Alred Gerald J. - The Business Writer’s Companion

Book title: The Business Writers Companion, Eighth Edition. Authors are Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu. Cover image shows three business people, two women and a man, looking at a laptop in an office building lobby.

The Business Writers Companion offers a concise yet thorough guide to business writing and communication in an easy-to-use format.

• Twelve tabbed sections organize the books entries in thematic groups.
• A brief table of contents on the inside front cover provides a convenient listing of all twelve tabs.
• Alphabetically arranged entries within each tabbed section make it easy to find specific topics.
• At the beginning of each tab, a brief Preview discusses the entries in that section and lists them with page numbers.
• Underlined cross-references in each entry link to related entries both within and outside that tab. When a cross-reference directs to an entry outside its tab, the tab number appears in parentheses.
• A complete table of contents at the front of the book lists all entries, figures, Writers Checklists, Digital Tips, and more.
• A user-friendly index provides a comprehensive list of terms and topics covered in the book, including topics that are not featured as main entries.
• A complete list of model documents in the books final pages makes it easy to navigate examples and visuals.
• The inside back cover provides instructions for accessing LaunchPad Solo for Professional Writing, which gives you access to online video, audio, and practice activities.

Gerald J. Alred is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee, where he is a teaching award recipient and an adviser to the Professional Writing Program. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and several standard bibliographies on business and technical communication, and he is a founding member of the editorial board of the Journal of Business Communication. He is a recipient of the prestigious Jay R. Gould Award for profound scholarly and textbook contributions to the teaching of business and technical writing.

Charles T. Brusaw served as a faculty member at NCR Corporations Management College, where he developed and taught courses in professional writing, editing, and presentation skills for the corporation worldwide. He worked in advertising, technical writing, public relations, and curriculum development and was a communications consultant, an invited speaker at academic conferences, and a teacher of business writing at Sinclair Community College. He passed away in 2015.

Walter E. Oliu served as Chief of the Publishing Services Branch at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where he managed the agencys printing, graphics, editing, and publishing programs as well as daily operations of the agencys public website. He has taught at Miami University of Ohio, Slippery Rock State University, Montgomery College, and George Mason University.

Workplace Technology Adviser

Richard C. Hay is owner and manager of Twenty Six Design, LLC, a company that provides computer hosting, programming, and design solutions for organizations, including thousands of college writing, advising, and academic support centers across the United States. He is publisher of the peer-reviewed Writing Lab Newsletter, has taught business and technical writing at the University of WisconsinMilwaukee, sits on the boards of two nonprofits, and is president of Quest Theater Ensemble in Chicago.

EIGHTH EDITION

Gerald J. Alred

Charles T. Brusaw

Walter E. Oliu

For Bedford/St. Martins

Vice President, Editorial, Macmillan Learning Humanities: Edwin Hill

Editorial Director, English: Karen S. Henry

Senior Publisher for Composition and Business and Technical Writing: Leasa Burton

Executive Editor: Molly Parke

Developmental Editor: Alicia Young

Media Producer: Melissa Skepko-Masi

Publishing Services Manager: Andrea Cava

Senior Production Supervisor: Lisa McDowell

Marketing Manager: Sophia Latorre-Zengierski

Project Management: Jouve

Senior Photo Editor: Martha Friedman

Permissions Manager: Kalina Ingham

Permissions Editor: Kerri Wilson

Senior Art Director: Anna Palchik

Text Design: Claire Seng-Niemoeller; Books By Design, Inc.

Cover Design: John Callahan

Cover Photo: Hero Images/Getty Images

Composition: Jouve

Printing and Binding: RR Donnelley and Sons Shenzhen, PRC

Copyright 2017, 2014, 2011, 2008 by Bedford/St. Martins.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except as may be expressly permitted by the applicable copyright statutes or in writing by the Publisher.

Printed in China.

210987

f edcb a

For information, write: Bedford/St. Martins, 75 Arlington Street, Boston, MA 02116 (617-399-4000)

ISBN 978-1-319-10282-1

Acknowledgments

Text acknowledgments and copyrights appear at the back of the book on , which constitutes an extension of the copyright page. Art acknowledgments and copyrights appear on the same page as the art selections they cover.

At the time of publication all Internet URLs published in this text were found to accurately link to their intended Web site. If you do find a broken link, please forward the information to so that it can be corrected for the next printing.

The Business Writers Companion is the best guide to the business writing essentials that help students land, navigate, and stand out on the job. A concise, topically arranged version of our popular Business Writers Handbook, this easy-to-use guide addresses the most common types of business writing and communication. More than just a guide, however, the Companion places writing in a real-world context with quick access to more than 60 sample documents illustrating the most common types of business writing. With decades of combined academic and professional experience, we have developed the Companion as a reliable reference for both the classroom and the workplace.

Anticipating the needs of todays business writers, we have expanded our coverage of social media as a professional tool, including updated material throughout Tab 9, Job Search and Application. Further, LaunchPad Solo for Professional Writing offers online tutorials on todays most relevant digital writing topics, from content management to personal branding. We also have been guided by the smart and generous reviews of colleagues and users across the country. In response to their suggestions, weve revised and updated entries throughout the book on topics such as layout and design, job search, rsums, and more.