Books
There are many useful books out there for new and experienced technical communicators.
Baywood Publishing Company have a series of books on technical communications. They also publish
the Journal of Technical Writing and Communication.
If you would like more information about Baywood titles, visit the Baywood website.
Sonja Mcshane's top 10 books for the technical communicator
If people are interested in more recently published books, the STC Technical Communication (Journal of the Society for Technical Communication) has book reviews. There is an amazing amount of new technical communication-related books out there!
- Style manual for authors, editors and printer
6th edition, ISBN 0-7016-3648-3
If you can only have one book, I'd suggest this is it. Australian focused, it covers many of the things we technical communicators need to know. Planning, writing and editing, designing and illustrating, legal and compliance aspects, producing and evaluating--it's all there. - Technical Editing, The Practical Guide for Editors and Writers by Judith Tarutz
ISBN 0-201-56356-8
Fantastic book for technical editors, technical writers who peer edit, or anyone looking to move into the technical editing field. - Managing Your Documentation Projects by JoAnn T Hackos
ISBN 0-471-59099-1
We all manage our work to some extent. You can take bits out of this book that apply to your situation, or use the whole lot. Tons of information, including metrics to work out project duration, writing and editing times. - The Cambridge Australian English Style Guide by Pam Peters
ISBN 0-521-57634-2
A comprehensive range of topics about language questions that arise in Australia. This book covers usage questions, as well as writing techniques and writing style. - Dynamics in Document Design by Karen a Schriver
ISBN 0-471-30636-3
Full of research results, this book covers practically everything you can think of to do with document design: audience requirements, the impact of poor design, the role of typography and space, the interplay of words and pictures. And it has a 21 page bibliography (in 8-point type!). - Human Factors for Technical communicators by Marlana Coe
ISBN 0-471-03530-0
This book is about designing and developing written, user-centered technical communication from the cognitive-psychology point of view. It covers a theory-based, human-factors methodology for designing, developing and testing technical information. Sounds dry, but it's actually (and I suppose not surprisingly) very easy to read. - The Complete Idiot's Guide to Technical Writing by Krista Van Laan and Catherine Julian
ISBN 02-864146-9
This is actually a very good introduction to the profession. - The Macquarie Concise Dictionary and the Oxford Concise Australian Dictionary
- Writing for the Web by Crawford Kilian
ISBN 1-55180-207-4 (I'm sure there is a later version out). - Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, 3rd Edition
The URL for the Microsoft Manual of Style 3rd Edition is http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/6074.asp.
The grammar book I tend to use is The Beacon Handbook, not that it's the best or anything but I've had it since I did a grammar refresher a while back. I think every technical communicator's bookshelf should include one or two books about grammar. Two other books that I have that are usually cited as 'must haves' are Fowler's Modern English Usage, and The Elements of Style.
Technical Bookshop Reviews
The Tech Writer's Survival Guide: A Comprehensive Handbook for Aspiring Technical Writers by Janet Van Wicklen
ISBN 0816 040 397 Price: $35.00
The Tech Writer's Survival Guide is an indispensable handbook to the craft as well as the business of translating
technical ideas into words that specific audiences will understand. This updated and expanded guide covers the latest
developments in the field, including online documentation, and gives readers practical guidelines to master the skills
this dynamic profession requires.
Successful Technical Writing: A Practical Approach by Bill Wesley Brown
ISBN 1566 376 963 Price: $119.95
This is a valuable text for both beginning technical writing students and working technical writers. It is designed to
show writers how to better write manuals, reports, letters, and other documents that will stand up to the toughest
standards of all - those imposed by the marketplace. The text is divided into two major sections. Section 1, Tools of
the Technical Writer, describes how technical materials should be organised and presented. It includes an extensive
reference guide devoted to proper language usage. Section 2, Products Created by the Technical Writer, provides specific
help on how to write a variety of documents, ranging from operation manuals to rèsumès.
How to Write and Present Technical Information by Charles H. Sides
ISBN 0521 666 937 Price: $49.95
This book offers commonsense advice on how to write reports, papers and other communications that do not fail. It is a
guide for any technical writer who must produce documents as quickly and effectively as possible. It is focused on
producing the correct product for each individual marketplace.
Grey Areas and Gremlins by Deb Doyle
ISBN 0646424831. Price: $36.95
Synopsis: Working with words isn't as easy as it might seem. This comprehensive, three-part grammar course will help you to:
- Learn the parts of speech, the four registers of English, the differences between speech and writing, the elements of construction of English and the punctuation marks.
- Study the correct and incorrect examples of each aspect of grammar and punctuation.
- Enjoy discovering easy ways to solve common problems.
- Work through exercises at your own pace.
This course is an indispensable source of information delivered with humour and understanding.
The User Manual Manual: How to Research, Write, Test, Edit and Produce a Software Manual by Michael Bremer
ISBN 0966994914. Price : $77.95
The User Manual Manual covers the art, science and politics of writing a useful, readable and even enjoyable manual for consumer software.
This book will teach you:
- The parts of the manual - what has to be included and what doesn't
- How different people read and use manuals and how to meet all their needs
- How to write tutorials that people will use
- How to customize a manual for young readers
- How different companies develop software, and how manuals and writers fit into that process
- What can go wrong at any stage of development - and what to do about it
- When, where and how writers can break out of the "writers box" and use their skills and creativity to enhance any project
Webster's New World Business Writing Handbook by Richard Worth
ISBN 076456403x. Price: $41.95
This book introduces you to the fundamentals of good business writing, offering you expert advice in everything from techniques
for forming your thoughts to brainstorming and organizing information to proper grammar, punctuation and usage. In no time,
you'll adopt habits that will allow you to see and appreciate your progress as a writer while you learn to criticize your own work
for the most dynamic and productive results.