Where to Start with Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson
Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson are two former executives at Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide who turned their decades of advertising and communication experience into one of the most practical business writing guides ever published. Kenneth Roman served as Chairman and CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide and later wrote a well-regarded biography of David Ogilvy titled The King of Madison Avenue (2009). Joel Raphaelson served as Executive Creative Director at the same agency, working closely with David Ogilvy himself. Together, they wrote Writing That Works, first published in 1981 and now in its third edition. The book distills what they learned about clear, effective communication in one of the world’s most demanding creative environments, where every word had to earn its place and every piece of writing had to produce measurable results.
Start here
Writing That Works: How to Communicate Effectively in Business
Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson · 193 pages · 2000 · Easy
Themes: business communication, emails and memos, proposals and reports, presentations, corporate writing
The definitive guide to practical business writing from two advertising legends. Kenneth Roman and Joel Raphaelson cover every format a business professional will encounter: emails, memos, letters, reports, proposals, presentations, resumes, speeches, and fund-raising letters.
Why Start Here
Writing That Works is the only book Roman and Raphaelson wrote together on the subject of writing, and it is the book that captures the essence of what they learned across decades at one of the world’s premier advertising agencies. Their approach is simple: say what you mean, say it clearly, and say it in as few words as possible. Then stop.
The book is organized by format, which makes it immediately useful. If you need to write a proposal by Friday, you can turn to that chapter and find concrete guidance. If your emails are getting ignored, the chapter on electronic communication explains why and what to fix. Every chapter includes examples of real writing, both strong and weak, with clear analysis of what makes the difference.
What to Expect
A slim, focused 193-page book that wastes no words, practicing the very efficiency it preaches. The third edition includes updated advice on email and digital communication. You can read it in a single sitting and return to specific chapters whenever you face a new writing challenge.