Good writers follow the rules. Great writers know the rules—and follow their instincts!

Finding the right words, in the right order, matters—whether you're a student embarking on an essay, a job applicant drafting your cover letter, an employee composing an email…even a (hopeful) lover writing a text. Do it wrong and you just might get an F, miss the interview, lose a client, or spoil your chance at a second date.

Do it right, and the world is yours.

In Write to the Point, accomplished author and literary critic Sam Leith kicks the age-old lists of dos and don'ts to the curb. Yes, he covers the nuts and bolts we need in order to be in complete command of the language: grammar, punctuation, parts of speech, and other subjects half-remembered from grade school. But for Leith, knowing not just the rules but also how and when to ignore them—developing an ear for what works best in context—is everything. In this master class, Leith teaches us a skill of paramount importance in this smartphone age, when we all carry a keyboard in our pockets: to write clearly and persuasively for any purpose—to write to the point.

"Leith breaks down how to write anything for any occasion. Though the mission may seem like an ambitious undertaking, Leith is wildly successful . . . will morph even the most timid email-senders into confident writers." — Booklist

"A useful, persuasive guide to English usage." — The Guardian