The Radio-Controlled Message Bottle: writing to communicate

The information age seems to demand ever more writing in our work and personal lives: emails, letters, reports, essays, websites, blogs, tweets, brochures, tipsheets… But for most of us, writing to communicate isn’t our main skill, and sometimes it can be like putting your message in a bottle and throwing it out to sea, hoping your audience will see it, understand it, value it and act on it. In a quick read with a light and humorous style, this book helps you build up the skills and mindset for clearer, more valued communications, covering guiding principles; writing style and process; writing persuasively; layout and design for documents and websites; and a selection of common grammar and word use mistakes to avoid.

The world of the written word is full of stuff that misses the mark with its audience or is careless or flat-out crappy. Some of the writers didn’t know how to do it better. Others didn’t think it was important; or didn’t think at all. But everything you put out to an audience sends messages about you or your organisation. If you’re looking for clients, serving the public, raising funds or presenting your views, your written voice tells people whether to trust you. In this age of text everywhere, it’s one of your greatest assets.

Writing to communicate isn’t just for famous novelists and marketing moguls. It’s about starting from where you are and building up to good enough. Then you can do what you do and get a message to the island where they want to hear about it. Not, you know, the one with the cannibals.

(Global village note! This book is written in and for British English. Users of other flavours may find their mileage varies on some of the specific grammar and word use points. You could always convert…)