Clear and Concise

Become a Better Business Writer

How well do you write?

Good communication is a skill required by all professionals. Whether you're preparing reports, conducting reviews or simply writing emails, expressing your ideas clearly and persuasively is fundamental to your success in the workplace.

Susan McKerihan has spent over twenty years assisting corporate clients to perfect their written communications. In Clear & Concise she shares her secrets, using real-world examples to show how to avoid common writing traps, such as wordiness, ambiguity and repetition.

By eliminating these habitual errors from your work and by using a logical top-down structure, you can improve the readability of your writing. And when your words are lucid and focused, your thinking becomes sharper, and you become more impressive and more productive.

Clear & Concise is the only writing guide you will ever need.

‘Susan is a master in turning ordinary into extraordinary. At PricewaterhouseCoopers, Susan's expert skills ensured that our critical reports to the market were perfectly structured, well laid out with clear, Plain English language. Her reputation as a mentor, coach and trainer is exemplary. And that's what makes Clear & Concise such a great read - great practical ideas from a master on how to help you communicate better and more powerfully.’ —Mark Veyret, Global Business Development Leader, PwC

‘The book is a little gem … I loved its layout and the fact it gave enough detail without sinking into a mire of grammar.’—Linda Gately, Professional Development Facilitator, AIM and Trainer and Content Specialist, MGL Consulting

‘Clear & Concise is a great book and deserves to be on bookshelves everywhere. Effective communication where messages are heard and understood is critical in the field of business and this book is a valuable contribution to the field.’ —Rod Watson, Director, de Jager Executive Search

‘Full of practical tips, helpful explanations and usable examples, Clear & Concise sorts out the “rules” you never needed to know from the ones you can’t afford to ignore.’ —Saul Eslake, economist and commentator.

‘Aspiring editors need this book, established editors and writers will appreciated it and a place should be made for it on their shelf. But for business writers, government and policy writers and any writer who finds it challenging to keep the message clear and concise, or chooses not to, this book is essential.’ —SA Society of Editors Newsletter

‘The readable style and logical chapter structure make it a valuable reference text when needing to explain to a client just why you have amended their convoluted prose in a particular way.’ –NSW Society of Editors Newsletter

‘Overall, I highly recommend the book – it is superbly easy to read and the techniques and suggestions imparted are imminently practical and doable.’ —Canberra Editor

‘This is an excellent handbook that shares the ‘secrets’ of an experienced professional in plain language.’ —The Hon. Michael Kirby

Susan McKerihan is a specialist and consultant in effective business writing with over twenty years experience. She advises corporate clients on how to write clearly and succinctly, with the aim of making sure their documents are easily understood by the intended audience.