Table of Contents

Introduction
Introduction
Why This Book
Why We Use E-Mail
About This Book
Before You Begin

Chapter 1
Think Before You Write
Plan Your Writing
Is E-Mail the Appropriate Choice for This Message?
What’s My Purpose?
What’s My Reader’s Point of View?
What’s the Most Important Message?
What Does My Reader Need to Know?
What’s the Best Way to Organize the Information?
Write Out Your Message
Use E-Mail Templates
Apply What You’ve Learned

Chapter 2
Launching Your Message
Read For Sense
Check the Tone
Make the E-Mail Easy to Read
Salutations
Closings and Signatures
Proofread!
Sending Attachments
The Subject Line
Last But Not Least: Address the Message
Apply What You’ve Learned

Chapter 3
Managing Your E-Mail
Quick Quiz
Reduce E-Mail Interruptions
Responding to Messages
Keeping Your Inbox Clean
Create an Electronic Filing System
Apply What You’ve Learned

Chapter 4
Present A Professional Image
For a Seamless Style
Use Active Language
Use Plain English
Cut Out the Clutter
Use Specific Language
Strengthen Those Sentences
Watch Those Modifiers
Use Complete Sentences
Keep Sentences Short, Simple, and Focused
Make Sure That Subjects and Verbs Agree
Use Pronouns Correctly
Use Gender-Neutral Language
Punctuate Properly
Using Commas
Using Semicolons
Using Apostrophes
Using Dashes and Parentheses
Apply What You’ve Learned

Chapter 5
Cautionary Tales
Quick Quiz
E-Mail Is a Public Medium
E-Mail Is Permanent
Your Organization Owns Your E-Mail
How Secure Is Secure?
E-Mail Landmines
Setting Up an E-Mail Policy
Apply What You’ve Learned

The Back Of The Book
Checklists
Learning More About Communicating in Writing
Learning More About Using E-Mail Software
A Quick Look at E-Mail Terminology
About the Author
About Write It Well

Sample Pages

Page samples are in PDF format and require Acrobat Reader

Page 23
Introducing the main point

Page 72
Reducing E-Mail Interruptions

Page 124
Tips for using dashes

Page 137
Cautionary Tales

"The people I work with know how to grab my attention. They get to the point right away and present information in a way that makes sense to me. This book explains how to craft clear, well-organized email that gets results. It sets the standard for how to communicate clearly and efficiently in a busy global workplace."
-- Buck McGugan, Vice President, Corporate Sales, FedEx Corporate Services

"E-mail has become the medium for communication in the workplace. I recommend this user-friendly book to anyone who wants their e-mail communications to be clear, concise and effective. "
-- Garth Bradley, Microsoft Windows Marketing

"Everyone will find something helpful in this easy-to-use guide. I particularly like the questions that help people decide whether to send an e-mail, the steps for writing clear messages, the guidelines for subject lines, the suggestions for breaking bad e-mail habits, and the advice for avoiding problems associated with e-mail. The book is extremely professional and totally accessible. I learned a lot, and I look forward to using it for training."
-- Susan Call, Human Resources Manager, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.