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Business Writing Resources
Use Dictionaries for Writing Business Correspondence
Dixie is sure you agree with her that when you're writing a piece of business correspondence a dictionary or thesaurus (or even better, both) could be very handy. The Internet (with Dixie's help, of course) allows you to have them in one place. So, the first writing resource Dixie highly recommends is the amazing dictionary lookup form below that incorporates a lot of dictionaries, thesauruses and encyclopedias.
Don't you just love this form?! Can you imagine how many volumes this resource would have if it were a book? This could very well be the only reference form for checking words you would ever need.
But still, Dixie would like you to have access to one more dictionary, for lack of a better word. Actually, it is a word spy site which is devoted to "new terms that have appeared multiple times in newspapers, magazines, books, Web sites, and other recorded sources". Dixie thinks you wouldn't mind including some of these latest neologisms in your business correspondence. Though she would like to warn you to be very careful as not all of these new words can be used in business writing. But Dixie knows she can rely on your common sense in choosing the appropriate words!
Need Some Errors?
In Dixie's opinion, you do! Just think about it, having at your disposal a list of most common errors can do wonders in helping you to avoid them. Follow the link to this Common Errors in English site and see for yourself.
Great Writing Guides
Dixie loves letters and other pieces of business correspondence written in plain, clear and concise English and she shared with you her views on this subject on the page about business writing.
Dixie is committed to bringing you the crème de la crème resources that can help you write really good business correspondence. She hopes you excuse her French, especially on the web page stressing the necessity of using plain English but Dixie is so excited she can provide you with the links to some really wonderful writing reference materials and the French phrase reflects her mood very well!
One of the business writing resources Dixie finds indispensable is a Style Manual from Garble's Writing Center which contains heaps of valuable information about abbreviations, addresses, capitalization, terminology, numbers, plurals, possessives, punctuation, spelling and word usage. This guide focuses on the U.S. standards for definitions, language use, style and grammar. Dixie thinks this manual is perfect as a reference book for writing business correspondence, or anything else for that matter.
Another writing resource Dixie finds very useful is Chris Ziska's 9-part guide of How to Write Well that can also be called How to Write Effectively. This guide is very practical and to the point, just what you need for writing business correspondence! By the way, its author is from the UK, but in Dixie's opinion this guide is universal for any English speaking country.
Dixie also likes the European Commission's How to Write Clearly guide in a PDF format which is also affectionately called Fight the Fog. This booklet is intended for all writers of English, it contains "some hints - not rules - that will help you to write clearly and make sure your message ends up in your readers' brains, not in their bins". Some of us take it for granted that our business correspondence will end up in our readers' brains. Well, Dixie sure hopes it always does! And stays there, too.
New Another great business writing resource in Dixie's opinion is a popular blog with "talk, tips and best picks for writers on the job" authored by Lynn Gaertner-Johnston who has 25+ years of business writing experience. It’s a must-read for those whose jobs involve any sort of writing. And it has a lot of tips on writing business correspondence, email being one of her frequent subjects.
A Few Useful Lists
Beside the above mentioned writing resources Dixie recommends you to have a list of plain words and phrases that can be very helpful in keeping your writing short and simple.
So, why don't you check out the following link where you can find plain language alternatives (PDF) to substitute complex and overused words you often see in official writing (which are also included for comparison). By the way, this list is provided by a UK website.
And the next link takes you to a more specific list that is not a business writing resource as such, but Dixie thinks at least some of you can find it useful as it contains forms of address for public officials, military personnel, nobility and religious officials.
Some Simple Punctuation Rules
Another resource Dixie would like to offer you is a Punctuation Made Simple site. Its author is sure that punctuation is simple, and aren't you tempted to be convinced?! If you are, just follow the link! It's that easy, you'll see.
New Writing for Business Quizzes
Nothing helps improve your writing better than practice. Check out frequently updated writing for business quizzes and see how you score.
New Do You Use Jargon in Business Writing?
It turns out that a lot of firms do. Read this short article with some samples of heinous assaults on the English language. It might help you realize if you do it and Dixie hopes, avoid it in the future.
English Grammar Gadget
And the last but not the least, the whole English Grammar in one small table. Dixie is sure all of us need to use the grammar reference guide from time to time, especially when we are writing something like business correspondence (or maybe a novel if that's what you are doing).
All in all, the above resources can make your life - or rather those hours of your life that you devote to business writing - much easier.
Dixie has gathered here the links to some of the best resources available on the Net which she has been using herself; and she is sure that practically all these resources are indispensable if you want to write effective business correspondence.
It doesn't mean though that you have to use them all every time you write a letter, but having them handy when you are not sure what or how to write, or need to check something, makes all the difference in the world!
