Writing to Persuade: How to Bring People Over to Your Side

by Trish Hall

Overview

From the former New York Times Op-Ed page editor, a definitive and entertaining resource for writers of every stripe on the neglected art of persuasion.

In the tradition of The Elements of Style comes Trish Hall’s essential new work on writing well—a sparkling instructional guide to persuading (almost) anyone, on (nearly) anything. As the person in charge of the Op-Ed page for the New York Times, Hall spent years immersed in argument, passion, and trendsetting ideas—but also in tangled sentences, migraine-inducing jargon, and dull-as-dishwater writing. Drawing on her vast experience editing everyone from Nobel Prize winners and global strongmen (Putin) to first-time pundits (Angelina Jolie), Hall presents the ultimate guide to writing persuasively for students, job applicants, and rookie authors looking to get published. She sets out the core principles for connecting with readers—laid out in illuminating chapters such as “Cultivate Empathy,” “Abandon Jargon,” and “Prune Ruthlessly.” Combining boisterous anecdotes with practical advice (relayed in “tracked changes” bubbles), Hall offers an infinitely accessible primer on the art of effectively communicating above the digital noise of the twenty-first century.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631497872
Publisher:	Liveright Publishing Corporation
Publication date:	06/02/2020
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,036,878
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Trish Hall worked for the New York Times for more than two decades, where she oversaw six feature sections and served as both Op-Ed editor and senior editor. She lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Part I Lessons from My Story

1 Becoming a Writer 3

2 Becoming an Editor 17

3 Running Op-Ed 23

4 Dealing with Celebrities 34

Part II What's Your Story?

5 Finding Your Voice 43

6 When to Go Personal 52

Part III Winning People Over

7 Know Your Audience 63

8 You Like Dogs? So Do I! 75

9 Play on Feelings 84

10 The Power of Empathy 92

11 Don't Argue 102

Part IV Tips on Writing

12 Tell Stories 111

13 Why Facts Matter, Even When They Don't 118

14 Focus. Be Specific. Prune. And Kill the Jargon. 135

15 Coming Up with Ideas 151

16 How to Please Editors 162

Part V The Psychology of Persuasion

17 We Believe What We Believe 175

18 The Power of Moral Values 182

19 What Really Changes People 188

Coda: Go Forth! 197

Acknowledgments 199

Index 201

Editorial Reviews

…convincingly demonstrates that beliefs always outweigh facts, whether the believers are educated or uneducated, liberal or conservative "or something else altogether"…Hall is a skilled and insightful writer who knows how persuasion happens…But her book isn't just about writing; it's about influencing anyone at all, whether in writing or in life.

The New York Times Book Review - Patricia T. O'Conner

03/25/2019

Hall (A Little Work) delivers an instructional guide to writing the sort of persuasively argued think pieces she oversaw during her four years as editor of the New York Times Op-Ed page. Writing broadly rather than in bullet points, and illustrating her observations with examples of submissions she handled during her tenure, she addresses the many aspects of writing that distinguish an exercise in expository writing and make it attract attention, such as drawing on a deeply personal experience to crystallize a generally relevant concern (she cites Angelina Jolie’s column on her double mastectomy to raise breast cancer awareness) and playing on feelings to connect emotionally with one’s audience. Some of her insights will seem obvious, if useful: don’t make readers defensive by arguing, enliven a theme with storytelling, and prune one’s prose of clichés and jargon, to name a few. Others are profound in their clarity: speaking about the different moral values to which people cling, she writes, “You can’t expect someone to change their basic values, so you have to make your argument in a way that fits with their values.” This book offers sound, well-reasoned advice that will benefit any writer. (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Whether your goal is to learn to write effective opinion pieces, or to understand what an editor at the New York Times does, or simply to follow the gripping story of an intrepid woman who rose to be a powerful news executive at a pivotal moment in journalistic history, Trish Hall’s Writing to Persuade is a fascinating, essential book."

Mark Danner

"Trish Hall is a remarkably gifted writer and editor—I’ve watched her turn drivel into prose and rambling thoughts into elegant arguments. At long last, she’s revealing her secret sauce. She doesn’t just tell you how to be more convincing; she shows you by example. This is one of the most useful books I’ve ever read on writing."

Adam Grant

"Trish Hall has, ostensibly, written a book about writing. But it’s so much more than that: it’s a book about living, filled with so much excellent advice that I want to give it to everyone I know."

Ruth Reichl

"Hall is a skilled and insightful writer who knows how persuasion happens… But her book isn’t just about writing; it’s about influencing anyone at all, whether in writing or in life… Along the way, a few mysteries are unraveled: why lies on Twitter are more popular than facts; why Republicans are better persuaders than Democrats."

Patricia T. O’Connor

"Part memoir, part style manual, this book presents the rules of persuasion as Hall has seen them at play. She acknowledges that, like all rules, hers could be broken—but, after reading her clear and researched explanation of each one, it’s hard to imagine how.... At the core of Hall’s advice is a focus on the power of empathy: finding common ground to find a path forward, advice that extends far beyond the pages of an essay. Woven throughout are fascinating anecdotes from Hall’s career; stories of chasing the truth, interrogating her own opinions, and encouraging others to do the same."

Booklist

2019-04-14
From the former editor of the New York Times op-ed page, a book that is part memoir, part self-help, and part writing guide.

At its core, Hall's text is about becoming a better listener, friend, partner, and citizen. Readers looking for tips on how to run the editorial gauntlet of the New York Times or other top national publications will find a few here. Unfortunately, some of the determining factors are beyond the fledgling writer's control. As the author clearly shows, your work is more likely to be read by an editor if you are a celebrity, a writer with a following, or someone referred by a journalistic colleague. For those without such advantages who hope to rise above the slush pile, the advice is fairly routine: Focus your piece, write clearly and conversationally, tell stories, be specific, have a different perspective or experience, surprise the editor with your story, and delight her with the quality of your prose. Beyond such standard advice, the worth of Hall's counsel extends well beyond writing, as she illuminates the types of attitudes and approaches that might make others more receptive or resistant and how crucial it is to find common bonds or frames of reference, to engage rather than antagonize. In these times of political polarization, she suggests that it's still possible to find common ground and to talk to each other rather than shout past each other. This may not result in publishable opinion pieces or help you persuade anyone of anything, but it might make for a more civil, polite society. Near the end, the author offers a helpful section called "How to Write and Pitch an Op-Ed," including the advice, "you need to offer an opinion, not just an analysis of the problem or applause for someone else's solution."

A lucid book about building bridges through communication along with some interesting behind-the-scenes background at the NYT.

Kirkus Reviews