Writing to persuade : how to bring people over to your side / Trish Hall.

Includes index.

Part I: Lessons from my story. Becoming a writer ; Becoming an editor ; Running op-ed ; Dealing with celebrities -- Part II: What's your story?. Finding your voice ; When to go personal -- Part III: Winning people over. Know your audience ; You like dogs? So do I! ; Play on feelings ; The power of empathy ; Don't argue -- Part IV: Tips on writing. Tell stories ; Why facts matter, even when they don't ; Focus, be specific, prune, and kill the jargon ; Coming up with ideas ; How to please editors -- Part V: The psychology of persuasion. We believe what we believe ; The power of moral values ; What really changes people -- Coda: Go forth!.

"Whether you want to compose a convincing cover letter, pitch a story for publication, on win over a college admissions officer, [this book] is the definitive resource on the neglected art of persuasion. As the person in charge of the Op-Ed page for the New York Times, Trish Hall spent years immersed in argument, passion, and trendsetting ideas--but she was also bombarded by tangled sentences, migraine-inducing jargon, and dull-as-dishwater writing. Drawing on her vast experience editing everyone from Nobel Prize winners (Joseph Stiglitz) and global strongmen (Vladimir Putin) to first-time pundits (Angelina Jolie), Hall presents the ultimate guide to writing persuasively--for students, job applicants, and even rookie authors looking to get published. You may wonder, 'Are there actually rules for argument, for persuasion, for convincing people that they should listen to you?' Why yes, Hall affirms, there are. Though it may be challenging to change minds in the opinion-soaked digital age, Hall teaches us that there are fundamental rules of persuasion, techniques for bringing people over to your side that, if followed, will only increase your odds of success. Weaving her own engaging stories, Hall draws from personal experience when, with insight and her trademark humor, she sets out the core principles of persuasive writing, from 'Finding your voice' to 'Don't get into fights.' Ever the editor, Hall also intersperses useful sidebars throughout the book, with bite-sized examples of writing that actually works, as well as step-by-step guides for how she would edit a text. Erudite yet infinitely accessible, Writing to Persuade covers almost every facet of persuasive writing for our times, Including such chapters as When to go personal, The power of empathy, How to please editors, [and] What really changes people. There has never been a better time to hone your skills of written communication and persuasion. For the aspiring rhetoricians in all of us, [this book] expands on classic guides such as The Elements of Style and On Writing Well, and teaches a new generation of writers the art of effectively communicating above the digital noise of the twenty-first century."--Dust jacket.

Hall spent years immersed in argument, passion, and trendsetting ideas-- but she was also bombarded by tangled sentences, migraine-inducing jargon, and dull-as-dishwater writing. Here she presents the ultimate guide to writing persuasively-- for students, job applicants, and even rookie authors looking to get published. Though it may be challenging to change minds in the opinion-soaked digital age, Hall teaches us that there are fundamental rules of persuasion, techniques for bringing people over to your side that, if followed, will only increase your odds of success. Discover the art of effectively communicating above the digital noise of the twenty-first century. -- adapted from jacket