Direct-Mail Letters

Journal of Business and Technical Communication Apr 1992

SANDRA ROY ; EMIL ROY

Abstract

This article uses a computerized style checker—RightWriter® 4.0—to analyze 14 direct-mail letters used to market books to a middle-class female audience. This study outlines methods for correlating stylistic traits with sales success. For this product and audience, letter effectiveness is enhanced by lowering readability levels, as well as by limiting the use of negative words and modifiers. In addition, writers for this audience should avoid words that are too easy or too difficult. However, no correlations emerged between success and letter length, strength of style, sentence length, or percentage of prepositions.

Journal: Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published: 1992-04-01
DOI: 10.1177/1050651992006002005
Open Access: Closed
Topics: multilingual writers voice and style

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

Huot (1996)

Computers and assessment: Understanding two technologies

Computers and Composition
Baker (1993)

Direct Mail Sales Letters: Form and Substance

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (1)

Garvey et al. (1989)

Pros' prose meets writer's workbench: Analysis of typical models for first-year…

Computers and Composition

Also cites 3 works outside this index ↓

10.1002/dir.4000020204

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10.1177/002194368101800104

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10.1037/h0061918

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