[...]... N The AMA Handbook of Business Writing is a desktop job aid for all corporate communicators The book is a collection of easy -to- find information on style, grammar, usage, punctuation, language construction, formatting, and business documents In writing three editions of the Administrative Assistant’s and Secretary’s Handbook, we have done extensive research on language usage In addition, we are the. .. training materials In The AMA Handbook of Business Writing, we take the best of these corporate business writing guidelines and organize them in a way corporate writers will find useful We’ve written the book so you can easily find information on a particular topic and quickly get back to your writing project We have alphabetized most of the book and included cross-references to assist you in finding... intentionally left blank S E C T I O N 1 The Writing Process This page intentionally left blank Section 1 The Writing Process 3 AUDIENCE ANALYSIS When planning to write a business document, the most important consideration is to understand your audience You must adapt your writing to the needs and interests of the audience For most business documents, the audience falls into one of the following categories: ■ Subject... the list of ideas to the scope of the project ■ How does each brainstorm idea apply to your audience? ■ Will your audience care about each brainstorming item? ■ Does the idea help your audience understand the topic? ■ Could you eliminate one or more ideas without sacrificing anything? ■ Is the idea too general, too technical, or not technical enough? After narrowing the list of topics, decide how to. .. will the audience expect and need from your document? ■ How will your document be used? ■ Will users read it cover to cover or just skim the high points? ■ Will they use your document as a reference to look up information when it is needed? ■ What are the demographics of your audience? ■ Consider the age, sex, location, and other characteristics of your audience 4 The AMA Handbook of Business Writing. .. implications of the subject matter? ■ Can you draw any conclusions about the subject matter? 6 The AMA Handbook of Business Writing ■ Do you have any recommendations? ■ What are the alternatives to the subject matter? ■ What tests and methods are used? ■ Can you use relevant statistics? ■ Are there any legal issues? ■ Should you consider applicable business situations? After brainstorming, the next step is to. .. variety of Fortune 500 companies In addition, we used our own book, the Administrative Assistant’s and Secretary’s Handbook, as a source for content on language usage, grammar, and punctuation We therefore thank James Stroman, who coauthored the Administrative Assistant’s and Secretary’s Handbook The following is a list of sources we referenced while writing this book to confirm the accuracy of our... a pen and notepad or a digital recorder nearby As you think about the subject matter, consider the following angles: ■ Are there any problems or needs? ■ Is there a cause -and- effect relationship? ■ What are the solutions to the problems? ■ What is the history of the subject matter? ■ What processes are involved? ■ What needs to be described to readers? ■ How can the subject matter be divided into smaller... you need to adapt your document to conform to its interests and needs ■ You may need to add information ■ You may need to omit information ■ You may need to add examples to help readers understand ■ You may need to write to a lower or higher level ■ You may need to include background information ■ You may need to strengthen transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and sections ■ You may need to write... about the details Another way to analyze your audience is to consider its characteristics: ■ What are their background, education, and experience? ■ Does your writing have to start with the basics, or can you work at a more advanced level? Example: If you are writing about a Windows-based software product, can you assume the audience already has a basic understanding of Windows, how to use a mouse, and . alt="" THE AMA HANDBOOK OF BUSINESS WRITING This page intentionally left blank The AMA Handbook of Business Writing The Ultimate Guide to Style, Grammar, Usage, Punctuation, Construction, and Formatting KEVIN. or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data AMA handbook of business writing : the. writing : the ultimate guide to style, grammar, usage, punctuation, construction, and formatting / Kevin Wilson and Jennifer Wauson. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: