In today’s workplace, writing is an essential skill. Whether drafting a policy memo, an email, or even a tweet, succinct writing is the key to effective communication.

Best practices for clear writing are explored in a new book by Martha Coven: "Writing on the Job: Best Practices for Communicating in the Digital Age,” published by Princeton University Press. In the book, Coven draws upon decades of experience in the public and private sectors — as well as in the classroom at Princeton University — to provide a helpful guide for anyone looking to improve their writing.

Coven, lecturer and John L. Weinberg/Goldman Sachs & Co. Visiting Professor at SPIA, has spent her career inside and outside of government working on domestic policy, with a focus on poverty reduction and the federal budget. Before coming to Princeton, she served for six years in the Obama Administration. She’s also served in nonprofit roles at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Consumers Union. Along with her teaching, she currently provides consulting services to foundations and nonprofits.

Endnotes, a SPIA podcast, takes listeners behind the cover and through the pages of books on politics, policy, and more — all written by faculty at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. The show is hosted by B. Rose Huber.