Collins Letter Writing

Reprimands (#litres_trial_promo)

Dismissals (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER 8: Communicating with the Media (#litres_trial_promo)

Requesting media coverage (#litres_trial_promo)

Declining media coverage (#litres_trial_promo)

Letters to the editor (#litres_trial_promo)

Personal letter (#litres_trial_promo)

Specific articles (#litres_trial_promo)

General grievance letter (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER 9: Legal Matters (#litres_trial_promo)

Libel (#litres_trial_promo)

Your rights (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

Without prejudice (#litres_trial_promo)

Communication with solicitors (#litres_trial_promo)

Threatening legal action (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER 10: The Electronic Age (#litres_trial_promo)

Email (#litres_trial_promo)

World wide web (#litres_trial_promo)

Faxes (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER 11: Filing Correspondence (#litres_trial_promo)

Filing (#litres_trial_promo)

Keeping copies (#litres_trial_promo)

Security & Data Protection Act, 1984 (#litres_trial_promo)

Creating an archive (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER 12: Postage (#litres_trial_promo)

Envelopes (#litres_trial_promo)

Types of postage (#litres_trial_promo)

Poste restante (#litres_trial_promo)

Forwarding mail (#litres_trial_promo)

Small packets (#litres_trial_promo)

Private mail systems (#litres_trial_promo)

Appendices (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

INTRODUCTION (#ulink_6def8b45-4741-5669-b503-3bb9eecbad2b)

Despite the invention of the telephone and the apparent casualness of many of our 21st-century arrangements, the written word is still the politest, most permanent means of communication and still the only really satisfactory way to deal with legal and professional correspondence. This makes letter-writing sound horribly responsible and, to many people, putting even the simplest of thoughts on paper to good effect does seem like a daunting task. But it needn’t be. There are basic rules of good grammar, style and approach that can be broken down into their component parts for anyone to learn and follow. This book lists those rules and helps to break down those parts and, in the process, makes the acquisition of good letter-writing skills a more entertaining exercise.

But this is the 21st century and we are now in the modern age of communication. Explanatory chapters on joining the email and internet age are included because it is a rapidly changing world out there and you never know when you might need to employ some of these constantly evolving e-trends. In the same vein, other chapters include sample pro-forma letters that deal with those everyday situations for which you might need to write a precise, businesslike letter but don’t quite know where to start. Of course, the reader can, and should, customise and adapt these model letters to suit their own style and their own needs but a helping hand might just save time.

We all need to write. Whether this be to a lawyer, to a friend or even to someone we don’t happen to like that much, a well-expressed letter may make a small but crucial difference. Stronger, more powerful correspondence can eliminate further unnecessary business correspondence or, even more impressively, might make social correspondence a more regular, more entertaining affair. It’s worth a go. Give it a try.

WHAT THE ICONS MEAN

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WEB TIP

Helpful tips throughout have been highlighted in tinted panels.

Write a letter by hand rather than using a word processor if you want it to be more personal or intimate.

1 (#ulink_2e153bc4-9618-5c42-b5c7-dc25b889c213)

BEFORE YOU BEGIN (#ulink_2e153bc4-9618-5c42-b5c7-dc25b889c213)

THE PURPOSE (#ulink_2e153bc4-9618-5c42-b5c7-dc25b889c213)

• WHY WRITE? (#ulink_f262b5c4-6b56-5dcf-808e-2399a4f1faf9)

• THE PEN (#ulink_9f767846-0538-58dd-abe8-8c5714519779)

• PEN OR MOUSE? (#ulink_7af64a04-31b2-52cf-8d5e-4d9f21f2aae9)