Now you can save hours of time and effort writing your own correspondence with this best-selling collection of 981 letters for virtually any business or personal occasion. The Lifetime Encyclopedia of Letters provides you with the precise letter that clearly expresses the propes tone and exact message you want to convey. Completely revised and expanded, this new edition of the letter-writing classic covers over 600 categories, and includes ready-to-use model letters. Letters can be quickly located by name, category, or topic. Then choose the appropriate letter and copy it...or personalize it with a few words of your own. You'll also find complete "How to Do It" sections for each type of letter that show, step-by-step, how you can write an attention-getting opening sentence, write a compelling closing sentence, write sales letters that really sell, say "no" without hurting feelings, write a business letter to a friend, and express true sympathy in a letter.
The modern conundrum: while the art of letter writing is fast extinguishing, the need for expressive, impressive, appropriate letters is as great as ever. The result? A mortifying amount of miserable missives that sadly miss the mark. E-mail informality is all very well for one's sister in Toledo or one's colleague three cubicles down, but when one needs to promote a product or raise funds, seek a job or request a favor, effectively complain, apologize, or reprimand, or send a letter of condolence, the typically confident and competent achiever gets noodly in the knees. Write a thank-you letter? The prospective correspondent is suddenly busy cleaning his or her desk and organizing the office files.
All you really need is a template to show you the way, and that's where Harold Meyer's Lifetime Encyclopedia of Letters excels. There are 981 letters covering most every business or personal occasion, organized in 600 categories, and followed by a comprehensive index. From Declining Requests (subdivided into "Invitations," "Applications for Credit," and "Donations," among others) and Requesting Favors to Sympathy, Apology, and Thank-You notes, Meyer shows an array of approaches, discusses effective techniques for various intended results, and instructs you on which tone to pursue, depending on whom the letter is going to and what you're trying to achieve. The encyclopedia won't actually write the letter for you or affix the stamp, but it provides proven formats to help structure your thoughts, and smooth starter and closer sentences--typically the hardest to write--to jump-start your communication and end with style. --Stephanie Gold
