Fresh from charming hundreds of thousands of readers into using good grammar and writing better (Woe Is I and Words Fail Me), Patricia T. O'Conner, joined by her journalist husband, tackles the newest challenge to effective communication: e-mail.
If you think that e-mail is a breeze, that you are taking full advantage of its strengths and avoiding the pitfalls, think again. You Send Me puts you ahead of the game. From the simplest tips about making your send-alongs a pleasure for the recipient, to subject headlines that make people open your mail, to creating the tone of civility that makes the workplace a pleasure, Patricia T. O'Conner is your friend and guide.
We're all communicating more by email than by any other means, and that requires guidance about the ineffables of the new medium and the old truths about clarity, simplicity, and good grammar. All in one bundle, with the charm and good humor that has made Woe Is I a bestseller and Words Fail Me a writer's helper, You Send Me is a joy.
If you're reading more on the screen than on the page; if you're communicating more on the web than by voice, and if you long for a way of avoiding misunderstandings and keeping the tone of communications appropriate and civil, this is your book.
Industry Reviews
PRAISE FOR YOU SEND ME "O'Conner and Kellerman . . . write concisely (which is very much to the point) and charmingly (which ought to be, too) about crafting effective e-mail."--San Jose Mercury News "Their concise, lively writing in this book demonstrates the virtues they preach."--Barbara Walraff, author of Word Court PRAISE FOR "YOU SEND ME""O'Conner and Kellerman . . . write concisely (which is very much to the point) and charmingly (which ought to be, too) about crafting effective e-mail."--"San Jose Mercury News""Their concise, lively writing in this book demonstrates the virtues they preach."--Barbara Walraff, author of "Word Court" PRAISE FOR"YOU SEND ME""O'Conner and Kellerman . . . write concisely (which is very much to the point) and charmingly (which ought to be, too) about crafting effective e-mail."--"San Jose Mercury News""Their concise, lively writing in this book demonstrates the virtues they preach."--Barbara Walraff, author of"Word Court" PRAISE FOR "YOU SEND ME" "O'Conner and Kellerman . . . write concisely (which is very much to the point) and charmingly (which ought to be, too) about crafting effective e-mail."--"San Jose Mercury News" "Their concise, lively writing in this book demonstrates the virtues they preach."--Barbara Walraff, author of "Word Court" From the "Rocky Mountain News": A primer on online writing etiquette By Patti Thorn, News Books EditorSeptember 6, 2002 So you think sending email is as simple as making a few keystrokes and hitting the "send" button? Take our advice: Delete that thought. When it comes to e-mail, the etiquette questions are as numerous as chips in your computer. For example: 1) Is it acceptable to write your message in all capital letters? 2) Can you go wrong using online humor? 3) Is it OK to use abbreviations, such as LOL and TTFN? These are the kinds of questions tackled in You Send Me: Getting It Right When You Write Online, by Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman (Harcourt). The book is a small but powerful volume dedicated to the notion that email can be as tricky as it is time-saving. Indeed, say the authors, "Many e-mailers, it seems, are as casual about their manners as they are about their writing. Someone who wouldn't dream of imposing in a letter won't hesitate in an e-mail." That same someone will send long attachments that will crash your computer; forward an e-mail that has been forwarded so many times, it's 9 pages and counting; write a benign message so curtly that you're left feeling insulted rather than informed. The list of possible gaffes goes on. Suffice it to say that we could all use a lesson in online manners. In this case, the price of that lesson is $17.95. Meanwhile, we're happy to offer an even cheaper sneak preview. Regarding the aforementioned questions: 1) Writing in all caps is akin to shouting your message. And let's face it, "Shouters are seen as rude and in-your-face." 2) Online humor isstrictly touch and go. "The wrong crack sent at the wrong time and to the wrong person, can be a disaster." 3) Only use abbreviations when you're certain the person you're writing knows what they mean. LOL, for example, means "laughing out loud," and TTFN is a good way to sign off on this item. As in, Ta-Ta-For-Now. I give my wholehearted endorsement ... O'Conner and Kellerman ... write concisely ... and charmingly ... about crafting effective e-mail. -- Charles Matthews, The Mercury News (San Jose, CA) A small but powerful volume dedicated to the notion that email can be as tricky as it is time-saving. -- Patti Thorn, Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO) Funny and sure to generate interest.... Their goal: encourage tact, taste, brevity, truth, good spelling and good grammar in e-mail. --Anne Stephenson, Arizona Republic Delivers the goods when it comes to clear writing and the basics of e-mailing.... Most comprehensive guide to e-mail protocol. -- David M. Kinchen, HuntingtonNews.net (Huntington, WV) Plain old fun.... I highly recommend it.... Very helpful ... suggestions and advice delivered in a breezy, conversational style. -- Pam Robinson, American Copy Editors Society A lively and articulate guide to ... the greatest thing to happen to communication since the invention of print. -- Richard Lederer the sound advice given here. -- Barbara Wallraff Before you click 'Send, ' read You Send Me. ... Common sense and uncommon humor. -- David Feldman Pat O'Conner ... and Stewart Kellerman make it clear that the future of English (God help us) is in e-mail. -- Leonard Lopate From the "Rocky Mountain News: A primer on online writing etiquette By Patti Thorn, News Books EditorSeptember 6, 2002 So you think sending email is as simple as making a few keystrokes and hitting the "send" button? Take our advice: Delete that thought. When it comes to e-mail, the etiquette questions are as numerous as chips in your computer. For example: 1) Is it acceptable to write your message in all capital letters? 2) Can you go wrong using online humor? 3) Is it OK to use abbreviations, such as LOL and TTFN? These are the kinds of questions tackled in You Send Me: Getting It Right When You Write Online, by Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman (Harcourt). The book is a small but powerful volume dedicated to the notion that email can be as tricky as it is time-saving. Indeed, say the authors, "Many e-mailers, it seems, are as casual about their manners as they are about their writing. Someone who wouldn't dream of imposing in a letter won't hesitate in an e-mail." That same someone will send long attachments that will crash your computer; forward an e-mail that has been forwarded so many times, it's 9 pages and counting; write a benign message so curtly that you're left feeling insulted rather than informed. The list of possible gaffes goes on. Suffice it to say that we could all use a lesson in online manners. In this case, the price of that lesson is $17.95. Meanwhile, we're happy to offer an even cheaper sneak preview. Regarding the aforementioned questions: 1) Writing in all caps is akin to shouting your message. And let's face it, "Shouters are seen as rude and in-your-face." 2) Online humor is strictlytouch and go. "The wrong crack sent at the wrong time and to the wrong person, can be a disaster." 3) Only use abbreviations when you're certain the person you're writing knows what they mean. LOL, for example, means "laughing out loud," and TTFN is a good way to sign off on this item. As in, Ta-Ta-For-Now.
