Writing That Works: Communicating Effectively on the Job

Combining clear advice on the writing process and almost 250 model documents from real workplace settings, Writing That Works sets the standard for business writing books. It reflects today’s electronic workflow, addresses the most current types of business documents, in print and online, and provides practical, informative guidelines on designing documents, considering audience and purpose, and using digital technology in the workplace. The free companion Web site supports and expands upon the information in every chapter and offers tutorials, additional model documents, expanded Digital Tips, and much more.

WALTER E. OLIU served as chief of the Publishing Services Branch at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, where he managed the agency’s printing, graphics, editing, and publishing programs. He also developed the public-access standards for and managed daily operations of the agency’s public Web site. He has taught at Miami University of Ohio, Slippery Rock State University, and as an adjunct faculty member at Montgomery College and George Mason University.

CHARLES T. BRUSAW was a faculty member at NCR Corporation's Management College, where he developed and taught courses in professional writing, editing, and presentation skills for the corporation worldwide. Previously, he worked in advertising, technical writing, public relations, and curriculum development. He has been a communications consultant, an invited speaker at academic conferences, and a teacher of business writing at Sinclair Community College.

GERALD J. ALRED is Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where he teaches courses in the Graduate Professional Writing Program. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and several standard bibliographies on business and technical communication, and he serves as the Associate Editor 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."

For Bedford/St. Martin's, all three are coauthors of The Business Writer's Handbook (2006); Handbook of Technical Writing (2006); The Business Writer's Companion (2005); and The Technical Writer's Companion (2002).