Watson, Lillian E.

The Bantam Book of Correct Letter Writing

BOOK I THE BASIC RULES OF SUCCESSFUL LETTER WRITING Letter Writing as a Social Asset 1(6) What the ability to write good letters can mean to you A letter is like a ``visit'' on paper How letters can enrich life---create more enduring friendships The busiest people make the best letter writers Write the letters that don't need to be written Send personal letters instead of greeting cards whenever you can If you ``don't Know what to say'' in a letter Personality in Letter Writing 7(10) Make your letters sound the way you do! Visualize the person to whom you are writing Just write as you speak---that's the whole secret! Use your customary words and patter Some easy ways to make your letters sound conversational Keep your language simple---short words are the best How to write with greater ease and clarity People judge you by your letters Avoid careless remarks that may be misunderstood Don't write anything you may later regret The letter everyone loves to receive The Physical Characteristics of Your Letter 17(8) The correct stationery for social and personal correspondence Short notes should be handwritten Use of the typewriter The spacing and arrangement of a letter Sequence of pages and folding the letter How to avoid mistakes in spelling and grammar The use of punctuation The Parts of a Letter 25(18) The heading The salutation The body of the letter The close The signature How to address the envelope BOOK II YOUR SOCIAL CORRESPONDENCE The General Rules of Social Correspondence 43(9) All social correspondence has a specific purpose The difference between formal and informal correspondence What you should know about informal correspondence What you should know about formal correspondence Dinner Invitations and Acknowledgments 52(17) Always respond promptly to a dinner invitation Dinner in honor of a special guest or guests Dinner to celebrate a special occasion Dinner followed by concert or opera Dinner by sons and daughters in honor of parents How to postpone or cancel formal dinner invitations How to break a formal dinner engagement Inviting a friend to fill an empty place at dinner Informal dinner invitations---and how to answer them Inviting friends to dinner and the theater When a daughter acts as hostess Note to recall an informal dinner invitation Note to break an informal dinner engagement Note to an intimate friend recalling a dinner invitation Note to an intimate friend breaking a dinner engagement Luncheon and Supper Invitations and Acknowledgments 69(11) Invitations for simple informal luncheons Inviting someone you do not know Supper invitations Party Invitations and Acknowledgments 80(12) Card party invitations For an informal bridge luncheon For a formal bridge luncheon For an informal cocktail party For a formal cocktail party For an informal tea party Formal tea parties Garden party invitations Invitations for house and week-end parties Invitations for showers Invitations for christenings Dance Invitations and Acknowledgments 92(11) Debutante dances and dinner dances Supper dance invitations How to acknowledge formal dance invitations Recall or postponement of formal dance invitations Subscription dances and charity balls Invitations for informal dances The friendly note of invitation Asking an invitation for a relative or friend Wedding Invitations and Announcements 103(27) Announcing an engagement The church wedding Church admission card The home wedding Train and direction cards Wedding announcements Enclosing ``at home'' cards with the announcement Wedding invitations for special and unusual circumstances Invitation to a double wedding The bride with one parent When the bride has no parents Invitations for a second marriage When the groom is in the military services Recalling a wedding invitation How to acknowledge wedding invitations The informal wedding invitation written by hand Bride's note of invitation to a close friend To a relative If there has been a recent bereavement To an old friend of the groom---a stranger to the bride To a business associate of the groom Inviting a friend to the reception only Invitations to wedding anniversaries Letters of Thanks 130(19) When and how to acknowledge wedding gifts To relatives To intimate friends To less intimate friends To a business associate of the groom To an old classmate of the groom---a stranger to the bride Shower gifts should be individually acknowledged Notes of thanks for Christmas gifts For birthday gifts For wedding anniversary gifts For a gift for a newborn baby or young child For a ``Bon Voyage'' gift The bread-and-butter letter Thanks for gifts to a patient or invalid Thanks for a favor received Thanks for a letter of condolence Thanks for a letter of congratulation On a birthday On an engagement On a marriage On a wedding anniversary On the birth of a child On graduating from college On winning an honor or distinction Letters of Congratulations 149(9) Congratulations on an engagement Congratulations on marriage Congratulations on a wedding anniversary Congratulations on a birthday Congratulations on the birth of a child Congratulations on graduation Congratulations on winning an honor or distinction Congratulations on a promotion or a new venture Congratulations on a speech or a performance Letters of Condolence 158(13) On the death of a parent On the death of a husband or wife On the death of a child On the death of a relative When death is a release When someone is killed or commits suicide Some famous letters of condolence Notes of Sympathy on Illness, Injury and Material Loss 171(6) To those who are ill To those who have been injured To those who have suffered material loss or damage Leters of Introduction 177(6) To be presented in person To be sent by mail ``Follow-up'' letters of introduction giving additional information A famous letter of introduction BOOK III YOUR PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE The General Rules of Personal Correspondence 183(3) Answer every letter promptly---it's easier for you You don't need literary style to write interesting letters How long should a letter be? Friendly Letters 186(15) How to begin a friendly letter What to write in a friendly letter What not to write in a friendly letter Consider the person to whom you are writing How to close your letter Examples of letters to personal friends Friendly letter from one man to another Friendly letter from one woman to another Letters to friends in distant places Letters from distant places to friends back home Christmas letter to a friend Family Letters 201(14) The ever-welcome letter from home To a daughter living and working in another city To a husband away on business To a married sister living at a distance Letters to children away at school or camp Excerpts from letters to children written by famous people From a bride to her parents on her honeymoon Letter to a relative who has asked for advice Love Letters 215(8) Examples of love letters from women to men Examples of letters from men to women Excerpts from the love letters of famous men and women Postscript on personal letter writing BOOK IV YOUR BUSINESS AND CLUB CORRESPONDENCE The General Rules of Business Correspondence 223(16) The parts of a business letter The inside address The salutation The body of the letter The complimentary close The signature Addressing the envelope Suggestions for writing more effective business letters Write your letters from the reader's point of view Be sure it sounds sincere Enthusiasm is contagious Courtesy counts in letter writing, too How to prejudge the effectiveness of your letter The Tone and Language of a Good Business Letter 239(9) Abbreviations in business letters The opening paragraph Examples of effective openings for various types of letters The closing paragraph Examples of effective closings for various types of letters The use of postscripts in business letters The Ten Commandments for writing a good business letter Examples of Routine Business Letters 248(17) Letters of order and confirmation Letters of complaint and adjustment Letters of inquiry and acknowledgment Letters about credit Collection letters Acknowledging collection letters Miscellaneous business letters Letters That Sell 265(7) Examples of effective sales letters Letters that sell good will Letters of Application 272(15) Don'ts in preparing your letter of application Examples of good letters of application Letters of reference Letters of introduction and reference Letters requesting information from references Thank-you letters for help in getting a job Your Club Correspondence 287(10) Notification of election to office Letters of resignation Requests to speak or entertain at a club Answers to invitations from clubs Letter of thanks for speaking or entertaining at a club BOOK V CHILDREN'S CORRESPONDENCE The Letters All Children Must Learn to Write 297(9) Children's thank-you notes for gifts Children's thank-you notes for hospitality Children's personal correspondence Children's Invitations and Acknowledgments 306(5) Notes of invitation Notes of acceptance Notes of regret Appendix 311 Forms of Address