Writing That Works by Kenneth Roman & Joel Raphaelson
People seldom act on what they cannot understand.
People who write well do well.
To get action from busy people, it must require a minimum of time and effort on the reader’s part.
Bad writing slows things down. Good writing speeds them up.
The only way some people know you is through your writing. Your writing is you. It reveals how your mind works. Is it forceful or fatuous, deft or clumsy, crisp or soggy? Readers who don’t know you judge you from the evidence in your writing.
Writing better does mean writing more.
Make the organization of your writing clear
When you write anything longer than a few paragraphs, start by telling the reader where you are going.
You must know where you are going yourself.
Use short paragraphs, short sentences, and short words
Reliance on long words can be a sign that you have not worked out exactly what you want to say. If you have distilled your thinking to its essence, you will probably be able to express it in simple words.
Sometimes it’s wise to respond, “Let me think about it overnight. I’ll get back to you in the morning.” This way, the sender knows their message was received and a reply, when it arrives, will be a thoughtful one.
A misspelled name gets you off on the wrong foot. It suggests to the reader that you don’t care, that you’re a sloppy person (but then there’s auto-correct which is challenging in of itself)
If you want your email to lead to action, your land paragraph should make clear what you would like that action to be. Or, if you’re taking the action yourself, what you’re going to do.
All emails that say “NO” would do well to say it with such sympathy for feelings of the reader.
Never write just to let off steam— write to get something done.