APR - Accredited in Public Relations
 
Al Czarnecki APR FCPRS LM  sketch
Al Czarnecki  APR FCPRS
 
Establishing good relationships with important publics is an investment. Managing this is the job of public relations.


Al Czarnecki Communications - Public Relations, Social Marketing, Fundraising Support - Toronto, Ontario, Canada

| (416) 261-9828 | www.topstory.ca


Recommended reading

Here's my short list of great books for your professional development library.

Writing for story | Media interviews & public speaking | PR & communication management

— On writing for the media —

Writing Creative Nonfiction
by Philip Gerard
Story Press, F&W Publications. Cincinnati, OH 45207.
ISBN 1884910432
 
Insight and advice on the writing process from start to finish. Brilliant observations on story development. Genuine, specific in detail, highly readable. A classic.

Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting
by Robert McKee
Regan Books, Harper Collins. New York, NY 10022.
ISBN 9780060391683
 
Brilliant insight into the story process, how it captures and transports an audience. Written about screenwriting, but CBC Radio recommends this book; its principles apply regardless of medium. A classic.

Writing for Your Readers: notes on the writer's craft from the Boston Globe
by Donald Murray
The Globe Pequot Press, Box Q, Chester, CT 06412.
ISBN 1564400514
 
From the cover — "A handbook of practical advice on how to write with vigor, clarity, and grace."

Magazine Editors Talk to Writers
by Judy Mandell
John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY 10158-0012.
ISBN 0471119911
 
Written for freelance writers, but offers valuable insight for media relations. Covers the editorial role and how decisions are made; final section includes interviews with 50 editors.

On Writing Well
by William Zinsser
Harper & Row. New York, NY 10022.
ISBN 0060891548
 
Principles, forms, approaches to writing — enjoyable and filled with practical wisdom. A classic.

Public Relations Writing Form & Style, Eighth Edition
by Doug Newton and Jim Haynes
Thomson Wadsworth; Belmont, CA 94002-3098.
ISBN 9780495566762
 
Covers all aspects of clear and effective public relations writing. An excellent and highly practical textbook.

AP Stylebook
by Associated Press
Perseus Publishing, Cambridge, MA 02142.
ISBN 9780465004881
 
A guide to usage, capitalization, abbreviation, liability, privacy, privilege, U.S. media law.

The Canadian Press Stylebook
by The Canadian Press
Toronto, ON M5C 2L9.
ISBN 9780920009543
 
A new edition for the new millennium. Look up principles, advances, broadcast writing, editing, story construction, taste, writing. You can buy it through the Canadian Press site .

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— On media interviews and public speaking —

How to Interview: The Art of the Media Interview
by Paul McLaughlin
Self-Counsel Press. Vancouver, BC V7J 1h1.
ISBN 0889088721
 
Explains in detail the process of the media interview, covers differences between print and broadcast. Written for journalists but equally useful to sources.

How to Develop Self-Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking
by Dale Carnegie
Simon & Schuster. New York, NY 10020.
ISBN 0671746073
 
How to be clear, interesting, natural. A classic.

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— On public relations and communication management —

Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management
by James E. Grunig (ed.)
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Hillsdale, NJ 07642.
ISBN 0805802274
 
An expensive, 600-page, important book — the report of a seven-year research project by the International Association of Business Communicators. Read the first chapter, an overview, then selected chapters. A pivotal book on how to think about communication management.
Public Relations and Marketing Communications in Canada
by William Wray Carney and Leah-Ann Lymer (ed.)
The University of Alberta Press, Edmonton, AB T6G2E1.
ISBN 978-1-77212-044-8
 
With 19 contributing authors from across Canada, this book works as a comprehensive overview or as a reference. It covers public relations essentials, an orientation to marketing, and elements of public relations and marketing communications.

The Wisdom of Teams: creating the high performance organization
by Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith
HarperBusiness. New York, NY 10022.
ISBN 0887306764
 
Clearly illustrates what a true team is and how to build one, using case studies. As readable as it is practical.

Crisis Communications: A Primer for Teams: Second Edition
by Al Czarnecki APR, FCPRS, LM
Kindle Direct Publishing
B0161M6K2M
 
Helps your team build an infrastructure for issues management and crisis response. Specifies roles, resources, processes and principles to put senior managers on the same page during a crisis. This second edition is updated throughout, includes a new chapter on social media, offers links to subtopics and online resources. The Kindle format can be read on smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Working with Emotional Intelligence
by Daniel Goleman
Bantam Books, New York, NY 10036.
ISBN 0553104624
 
Excellent insight into the dynamics of leadership, building relationships, fostering loyalty. Highly readable, impressive scope and depth. Includes 32 pages of annotated references.

Flawless Consulting: A guide to getting your expertise used
by Peter Block
Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer, San Francisco, CA 95104-1342.
ISBN 0787948039
 
An exceptional, down-to-earth book on effectiveness. Harvard and Loyola U. of Chicago (my alma mater) use it in business administration and organizational development courses.

Questions that sell: the powerful process for discovering what your customer really wants
by Paul Cherry
American Management Association, New York, NY 10019.
ISBN 0814473393
 
A book that is as much about effective two-way communication as it is about sales. Very useful in helping public relations and sales to talk to each other.

The Social Media Management Handbook
by Nick Smith and Robert Wollan with Catherine Zhou
John Wiley & Sons Inc., Hoboken, NJ 07030.
ISBN 978-0-470-65124-7
 
A thorough, concise, highly readable book on everything you need to know to get social media working in your business. The authors cover strategy, culture, metrics, policies, roles and responsibilities. A comprehensive book that makes sense.

All these books, unless otherwise noted, are available through Amazon.com or Indigo.ca.
 

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