Product Description

The best-selling How to Say It® is now better than ever. The second edition of this one-of-a-kind book has been updated with ten new chapters-that’s fifty chapters in all-offering readers even more material for quickly and effortlessly constructing original, effective letters.

How to Say It® provides short lists of what to say, and sometimes more importantly, what not to say when writing business or personal letters. It begins with examples of why and when certain letters are appropriate, tips on writing the letter, and advice for special situations. It then offers sample words and phases for each type of correspondence, as well as examples of sentences and paragraphs that are best suited for the task. Finally, it provides full sample letters giving readers a sense of what to look for in the final product. Includes appendices offering tips on etiquette, formatting, and grammar.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #112743 in Books
• Published on: 2001-09-01
• Released on: 2001-08-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

About the Author
Rosalie Maggio is the award-winning author of 18 books, including Great Letters for Every Occasion and How They Said It®. She is a member of the Authors Guild and the Society for Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. Rosalie lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Customer Reviews

A Basic But Valuable Resource
Years ago, George Bernard Shaw is reported to have expressed regret about the length of one of his letters, explaining that he did not have enough time to write a shorter one. Consider that comment in light of the statement which follows. According to Rosalie Maggio, "This practical, easy-to-use book contains everything you need to know to write an effective business or personal letter in little more time than it takes to handwrite, type, or input it. The convenient, flexible approach presented here emphasizes letters that are not only quickly written but clear, compelling, and personal [italics]."

The material is divided into 40 different chapters. Then Appendix I deals with the mechanics of letterwriting and Appendix II deals with the content of letters written. Actually, the word "communications" is more suitable than "letters" because busy executives are constantly required to communicate with others...and do so in a variety of ways. Indeed, all of Maggio's excellent "tools" (as well as her suggestions as to how to use them effectively) are as relevant to telephone conversations and e-mails as they are to business and personal letters. Determine the specific objective to be achieved, organize your thoughts with meticulous care, and then express them with both precision and concision. Maggio explains HOW.

One of the book's greatest benefits is that it provides a wealth of "choice words, phrases, sentences & paragraphs for every situation." Here are the first eight of 40 specific situations, all of which are conveniently listed in alphabetical order: Acceptances, Acknowledgements, (Letters of) Adjustment, (Letters of) Advice, Announcements, and Apologies, (Letters About) Appointment Interviews, and (Letters of) Appreciation. You get the idea.

All busy people should accumulate AND MAKE DAILY USE OF a personal reference library. Here is an excellent candidate to consider for yours.

A very useful reference for any letter-writing occasion.
I have utilized this book numerous times for various types of letters. Sometimes I chose words, sometimes I chose phrases, sometimes I chose sentences, and sometimes I chose paragraphs. The actual letters were a great inspiration for my own letters. This book really worked - all my letters based on its suggestions served the appropriate purposes. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!! P.S. I read the other person's review (!) It does not seem that they were reviewing the same book!! The fact that this book contains the "pieces" needed for letters as well as the actual letter examples is an extremely valuable quality of this reference. The topics cover most conceivable situations and are thoughtfully and tactfully presented. It belongs on everyone's bookshelf.

My life is so much easier now!
If you're like I was, you've got a stack of letters gathering dust and taking up room on your desk because it TAKES SO MUCH TIME and is SUCH A CHORE to answer them all. Not that I didn't love all those people dearly, but what do you say when your childhood friend loses her husband? How can you POSSIBLY maker her feel better? Or what about the letter to the credit company that keeps charging you incorrectly? It's THEIR fault, so why should you spend an hour trying to figure out how to explain their errors? I was getting to be just terrible -- after a while I didn't even bother to send thank you notes. Well, this book was a real revelation for me. It's no surprise that my husband got it for me (somehow I always end up writing HIS letters, too) because this is just what I needed. I write great letters now and I'm able to let people know I care without it taking all day. I have even starting buying nice stationery. If you've got that stack of unanswered mail, you NEED to have this book. No more brain damage, no more searching for the right words, no more worrying about sounding stupid or trying to fill up space on a card. I only wish I'd known about it earlier!