Each year UVic faculty, staff, students, alumni, and retirees produce an incredible amount of intellectual content reflecting their breadth and diversity of research, teaching, personal, and professional interests. A list of these works is available here.
From UVic English Instructor Paul MacRae comes the essential new book Business and Professional Writing: A Basic Guide. This book is a pragmatic look at all of the elements of strong professional writing – including language, grammar, document design, correspondence, cover letters, reports, and much more.
About the Book
Straightforward, practical, and focused on realistic examples, Business and Professional Writing: A Basic Guide is an introduction to the fundamentals of professional writing. The book emphasizes clarity, conciseness, and plain language. Guidelines and templates for business correspondence, formal and informal reports, brochures and press releases, and oral presentations are included.
Exercises guide readers through the process of creating and revising each genre, with helpful tips, reminders, and suggested resources provided throughout.
About the Author
Paul McCrae is an instructor with the English department at the University of Victoria, as well as teaching online courses at the University of Athatbasca. His teaching areas are te
chnical and professional writing; writing for government; objective journalism; and writing creative non-fiction. He brings a wealth of experience to his teaching, having worked for more than 30 years as an editor, reporter, editorial writer, and columnist for The Canadian Press, Toronto Star, Bangkok Post, Toronto Globe and Mail, and Victoria Times Colonist.
Paul MacRae has received a BA in Sociology from the University of Toronto and an MA in English from the University of Victoria. He is the author of numerous columns, editorials, features, reviews, and articles; co-author of the University of Victoria Writer’s Guide; and sole author of three books.
Praise for the Book
“This is a practical, no-nonsense approach to professional writing. What the reader will find here is everything he or she needs to know to be an effective communicator, from a foundation in grammar and basic precepts, including the importance of document design, to how to write in specific professional genres, including persuasive letters, résumés, and reports. Rather than being relegated to an appendix, grammar is foregrounded, along with the ‘seven Cs of good professional communication.’ The coverage is thorough yet concise, and even experienced writers will find the text to be a valuable resource.” — Michael Fox, Western University
“Paul MacRae’s Business and Professional Writing delivers on its promise to provide a basic bread-and-butter guide to workplace writing. […] This book practices what it teaches. Concepts are explained and illustrated clearly and efficiently. The strong section on grammar clearly explains the basics that need to be in every professional writer’s toolkit. The book’s brevity, conciseness, and to-the-point approach make it a practical, accessible textbook that would be a great resource for any student.” — Kelly Belanger, Virginia Tech
“What makes this book stand out from the competition is its focus on news releases, brochures, and promotion on the web. Detailed instructions on how to construct an effective brochure is especially helpful to students who often struggle with this format.” — Precious McKenzie, Rocky Mountain College
