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Write Everything Right!

By Denny Hatch

*A Book Review*

by Michael C. Gray

© 2017 by Michael C. Gray

In Write Everything Right!, Denny Hatch shares key lessons that he has learned during 60 years of writing to get a favorable response. He covers everyday communications, including emails, letters, memos, blogs, reports, speeches, ads, press releases, articles, books, websites and résumés.

Denny is the consummate student of promotional writing. He and his wife collected sales communications (what many people call "junk mail") and published a magazine called Who's Mailing What. The Hatches sold Who's Mailing What to NAPCO Media, which still maintains the database for the world's largest swipe file made available for marketing research. Denny continues to contribute editorials to Target Marketing magazine and keeps a blog about marketing communications, as well as critiquing and writing advertisements and sales letters.

According to Denny, most written communications should be written to (1) get the attention of the reader, (2) keep the interest of the reader, (3) communicate your message to appeal to the self-interest of the reader, and (3) elicit an action or response.

The biggest mistake most writers make is to communicate according to their own interests instead of the reader's.

Another mistake is to use words that the reader needs to grab a dictionary to understand and write academically to impress the reader. Most writing should be conversational, using everyday words and phrases.

The chapter on résumés should be especially helpful for job seekers. The problem with many résumés and the cover letters that accompany them is they focus too much on the job seeker - the "I" or "me" frame of reference. Employers are concerned with what the job seeker can do for the business. "What's in it for me (the employer)?" That should be the focus, particularly for the cover letter. And remember, the objective of the cover letter and résumé is usually to get an interview. That is the action you are seeking.

Anyone who is interested in writing more effectively would benefit from reading and studying Write Everything Right!

Buy it on Amazon: Write Everything Right!: Let the world's highest-paid writers show you the secrets of making readers love your: e-mails, letters, memos, blog, ... website and yes, especially your résumé!.

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