Academic Writing Now: A Brief Guide for Busy Students is a rhetoric designed to cover the basics of a college writing course in a concise, student-friendly format. Anything inessential to the business of college writing has been excluded. Each chapter concentrates on a crucial element of composing an academic essay and is capable of being read in a single sitting. The book is loaded with timesaver tips, ideas for making the most of the student's time, along with occasional warnings to avoid common errors made by student writers. Each short chapter concludes with questions and suggestions designed to trigger class discussion.

The second edition has been updated throughout, with special attention to making the book even better suited to accelerated and co-requisite composition courses.