Academic Writing Now: A Brief Guide for Busy Studentsis 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 reinforce the chapter's key elements and facilitate small-group interactions and full-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. MLA citation style has been updated to reflect 2021 changes, and a current APA citation guide is new to the second edition.