This AP article titled “Business, B-schools fight bad writing” suggests that demand for solid freelance/contract writers will continue to rise at least for the foreseeable future. There remains a dearth of pen-ability across the country as a result of the perceived need – the need for speed.

I will again say that I am amazed at how much weight a personal, handwritten note carries in this day and age. It’s sad that recipients feel valued and important when they know that you took five minutes to write something for them.

Do you want to stand out from the crowd, rise to the top of the applicant pool, or fill your work pipeline? Get back to the basic human levels in communication. E-mail less. Write, call, and build relationships face-to-face more. And read a lot of different writing. You’ll be amazed at how much better a writer you will become through osmosis. No, audio books do not count.

• John Sturtevant with The Writing Workshop
• Doug Williams with Fuse Five
•  And definitely subscribe to Ann Wylie’s free e-newsletter Wylie’s Writing Tips (formerly Revving Up Readership)