Publishers Weekly
07/08/2024
Harris and Bane (Friendshipping)—the founder and creative director, respectively, of marketing agency M. Harris & Co.—present a concise and effective manual for improving writing in professional settings. Most of the advice focuses on punching up emails, as when the authors encourage readers to keep messages as short as possible and, when relaying bad news, to present it “clearly and directly in the first two sentences.” Other guidance covers how to generate speeches (“Say it out loud as you write”) and headlines (“Start with keywords” and think about what elements of the article will most interest the intended audience). Harris and Bane also outline general rules of thumb, discouraging readers from overworking metaphors, needlessly replacing “use” with “utilize,” or including such clichés as “beating a dead horse.” The authors can be delightfully snarky, such as when they caution against turning nouns into verbs and ridicule a job posting that used “laddering” as a verb: “Garage the laddering. Unless you need to reach a kitten who is treeing.” The sound suggestions are usually provided as bulleted lists (when writing an “irresistible subject line,” “make your purpose clear” and “create a sense of urgency”), making this easy to skim. This handy reference will be a boon to white-collar workers. Agent: Monika Verma, Levine Greenberg Rostan. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Harris and Bane ... present a concise and effective manual for improving writing in professional settings.” -Publishers Weekly
“ To write something that makes someone do something ... is a magic trick, turning black marks into fluttering thoughts, real emotions and actions. Everybody Needs an Editor can help you do that." -The Chicago Sun-Times
"Tightly written. Every delightful page will make you a better writer". —Mignon Fogarty, New York Times bestseller and creator of the Grammar Girl podcast
“Clear-eyed and razor-sharp, this book is a must-have for any writer aged 17 to 70.”—Jonah Berger, Wharton Professor and Bestselling Author of Contagious
"This book is about more than how to be a better writer at work. It's about how to be a better human at work. It will stop you from making stupid mistakes that will get you fired."—Michael Muser, co-owner, two-Michelin-starred Ever, and host of the podcast, Amuzed: A Podcast for Geniuses
"This book will make you a more confident and compelling communicator, and it might just make you a more successful boss, employee, teacher, student, or friend. Everybody Needs an Editor should be on everybody’s bookshelf." —Tim Franklin, Senior Associate Dean, Professor and John M. Mutz Chair in Local News at Medill
"God I love this book. I've been teaching editing classes since the dawn of time. And one of the first things I teach my college students is how to write an email to a professor or boss. Writing professionally is such a valuable skill, and this book is the best tour guide." —Mike Reilley, journalism professor and author of The Journalist's Toolbox and Data + Journalism
