Business and Technical Writing for the Real World: Skills You Can Use Now
Edition: 7
Copyright: 2026
Choose Your Format
Ebook Package
$140.00 USD
New Edition Now Available!
Communication is an integral part of our everyday life. Every day, everybody creates and receives communication, and content, and receives communication, or content. Being able to do both things well is advantageous to you, professionally and personally, those you interact with, and those you work for.
Part of the difficulty in communicating has to do with the various channels of communication to which you have access. Traditional channels of communication, including in-person communication and presentations, printed communication, such as letters and memos, and remote communication, by telephone or radio, have been expanded to include online, internet-based communication. Newer communication channels include e-mail, blogs, vlogs, wikis, texting, and social media: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others.
Business and Technical Writing for the Real World: Skills You Can Use Now presents a view of the components of modern business and technical communication. Aspects of writing using templates and styles, tools, and technology are presented in way that relates to your needs. Armed with this information, you can make decisions about communication and content that affect your personal and professional communication immediately.
Chapter 1: Introduction
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION DEFINED
TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION DEFINED
BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION DIFFER FROM ACADEMIA
EXERCISES
Technical Communication Fly-By
Introduction Communication
Testing Communication
Working with Your School
Chapter 2: Content Creation
CORRECT COMMUNICATION
GRAMMAR THAT WORKS
Being Consistent
Using Standards
Simplifying Your Writing
Handling Quotation Marks
Capitalizing Correctly
Using Articles
Proofreading for Grammar
WRITING EFFECTIVELY
Language Choice
Being Concise
Using Introductions
WRITING CONCISELY
Example 1: Computer Instructions
Example 2: Improving Computer Instructions
Example 3: Even Better Computer Instructions
WRITING COMPREHENSIVELY
Example 1: Introduction on the Phone
Example 2: Computer Introduction
Example 3: Retaining Meaningful Content
Active and Passive Voice
First, Second, and Third Person Reviewed
Imperative Mood
Avoid Idioms and Metaphors
Use Parallel Construction
Using the Correct Word
Using Gender Pronouns
WRITING CLEARLY
Unintended Meaning
Using Pronouns Clearly
TRANSLATING CONTENT
Ways to Translate Content
Creating Content for Translation
POSITIVE MESSAGES
NEGATIVE MESSAGES
INTERVIEWING SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS
Plan Your Interview
Get the Appropriate SMEs to Attend
Take Notes During the Interview
Ask for Clarity
Follow-Up After the Interview
Other Interview Ideas
EXERCISES
Chapter 3: Structuring Content
USING TEMPLATES AND STYLES
ORGANIZATION TEMPLATES
DEFAULT TEMPLATES
STYLE GUIDE
STYLES
Advantages of Styles
Disadvantages of Styles
Microsoft Word Styles
Ad-Hoc Formatting
HEADING AND LIST LOGIC AND USE
About Headings
List Types
List Logic
Introducing Lists
Heading Logic
LISTS OF REFERENCES
TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS, AND COPYRIGHTS
USING AI FOR ORGANIZATION
Creating an Outline for Instructional Communication
EXERCISES
Chapter 4: Deliverables
OVERVIEW
INSTRUCTIONS
Authoring Written Instructions
Example of Writing Instructions
Creating Image-Only Instructions
REPORTS
Formality
Types of Reports
LETTERS AND MEMOS
NEWSLETTERS
USING ONLINE MEDIA
Online Help
Creating Video-Based Instructions and Content
Using Screencastify
Using Internet Video for Meetings
Learning Management Systems
ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Creating a Presentation
Delivering a Presentation
ONLINE MEETINGS
SEARCHING FOR A JOB AND CREATING A RESUME
Deciding What to Pursue
Creating Job Materials
Finding a Job
USING AI IN JOB HUNTING
Thank-You Letters for Interviews
Cover Letters for Jobs
Using AI with Resumes
PROMPT LIBRARY
TABLES, GRAPHS, AND FLOWCHARTS
Tables
Graphs
Flowcharts
EXERCISES
Chapter 5: Writing for the Web
Email Vulnerabilities
WEBSITES
Setting Up a Website
Authoring Web Content
Search Engine Optimization
USING DISCUSSION BOARDS
Administration
Participating in Discussion Boards
TEXTING
Informal Texting
Business Texting
Group Texting
SOCIAL MEDIA OVERVIEW
Linkedln
Twitter (X)
YouTube
EXERCISES
Chapter 6: Primer on Generative Artificial Intelligence
AI BASCIS
AI prompts
Prompt Library
CONFLICTS IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
BENEFITS TO BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
CHALLENGES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Citing Al
Making the Case for Al
When to Consider Using Al
Al BIASES
Al HALLUCINATIONS
ENVIROMENTAL EFFECTS OF AI
Al GENERATION PRODUCTS
Al DETECTION PRODUCTS
WHAT FORMATES AI CAN USE
Image Formats
What Office Software Input is Supported
What Office Software Output is Supported
EXERCISES
USING AI FOR OUTLINING
USING AI TO SIMPLIFY TEXT
FOCUSING AI PROMPTS
Chapter 7: Getting Started Quick Guide
AUDIENCE
BRAINSTORMING
OUTLINING
Example: World User Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
USING DOCUMENT PROPERTIES
USING STYLES
Applying Styles
Creating Styles
CREATING HEADERS AND FOOTERS
Headers
Footers
USING GRAPHICS
CREATING AN INDEX
Inserting Index Markers
Creating and Updating the Index
INDEX
EXERCISES
Chapter 8: Content Design
PLANNING YOUR DESIGN
DESIGN ELEMENTS
White Space
Proximity
Alignment
Contrast
Repetition
Chunking
Queuing
Filtering
Hypertext
FONT IN DESIGN
ONLINE
PRINTED
EMPHASIZING WORDS
EXERCISES
Chapter 9: Color
RGB COLOR
HEXADECIMAL NOTATION
PALETTED COLOR
CMYK COLOR
SUBTRACTIVE COLOR MODEL
CAN YOU PRINT WHITE?
SPOT COLOR
COLOR SPECIFICATIONS
COMPLIMENTARY COLORS
EXERCISES
Chapter 10: Image Types
FONTS
Kinds of Fonts
Where to Get Fonts
Using Fonts
Converting Fonts to Curves
TrueType
Postscript
OpenType
Web Fonts
Font Faces
VECTOR IMAGES
Illustrations
Logos
Al
AutoCAD
EMF
EPS
SVG
WMF
RASTER IMAGES
Image Size
Resolution
Scaling Rasters
Raster File Types
Raster Images That Are Too Large
Photographs
Screenshots
USING AI WITH IMAGES
What Image Formats AI Can Use
Extracting Text from an Image
Editing Images of Objects
Editing an Image of People Using AI
EXERCISES
Chapter 11: Strategies on Citing Sources
WHAT FAIR USE IS
WHY CITE
OVERVIEW OF APA, CMOS, AND MLA
INTEXT CITATIONS
WORKS CITED ENTRIES
Citing Books
Citing Journal Articles
Citing Web Pages
RESOURCES FOR CITING
Reference Websites
Reference Books
Citation Tools
Creating References with Microsoft Word
HOW INTEXT CITATIONS AND WORKS CITED ENTRIES RELATE
WHAT-IF SCENARIOS
OVERLOOKED USE CASES IN CITATION
EXERCISES
Chapter 12: Tools and Technology for Communication
OPERATING SYSTEMS
FILENAMES AND PATHS
Naming Files
Pathing
Using Lettercase
More About Lettercase
Drawbacks to Using Different Lettercase
CLIPBOARD
USEFUL UTILITIES
AUTHORING TOOLS
Adobe FrameMaker
Google Docs
Madcap Flare
IMAGE AND ILLUSTRATION TOOLS
CorelDRAW
Corel PHOTO-PAINT
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
EXERCISES
Sean has over 25 years of experience working in technical and business communication, including manufacturing, networking, software manufacturing, and engineering environments. Over this period, Sean has used a wide variety of authoring tools and methods and created marketing, customer-facing, and internal communications for the web and print. Sean is also a past chapter president of the Society for Technical Communication.
As an instructor at Southern Connecticut State University for over 15 years, Sean has taught and designed on ground and online classes for undergraduates in professional writing courses.
Sean has maintained an interest in volunteerism in his hometown where he lives with his supportive wife, where he worked as an EMT/firefighter for 25 years and where he coached youth soccer. He remains a passionate Premier League fan.
Currently, Sean is working on several projects aimed at improving approaches to online learning for the benefit of both instructors and students in higher education.