Revised edition of Webster's standard American style manual, 1985.

Merriam-Webster's Standard American Style Manual stands alone. It is the first style manual to record the styling conventions most often followed by working writers and editors rather than the preferences of one publisher or organization. This invaluable reference, marked by straightforward prose and a clear format, provides the most common and acceptable solutions to the basic questions about writing.

Ben Yagoda's How to Not Write Bad illustrates how we can all write better, more clearly, and for a wider readership. He offers advice on what he calls "not-writing-badly," which consists of the ability, first, to craft sentences that are correct in terms of spelling, diction (word choice), punctuation, and grammar, and that also display clarity, precision, and grace. Then he focuses on crafting whole paragraphs—with attention to cadence, consistency of tone, sentence transitions, and paragraph length. In a fun, comprehensive guide, Yagoda lays out the simple steps we can all take to make our writing more effective, more interesting—and just plain better.

The indispensable guide to all points of punctuation and presentation for computing, engineering, medical and scientific writers who need to express complex ideas succinctly and accurately.

Provides information on salaries, skill requirements, and employment opportunities for ninety writing and writing-related professions.

If you've ever considered editing as a career, this book will help you on your new path. You’ll learn about the requirements in various fields, how to get started, the step-by-step facets of setting up and conducting your editing services, working with writers and publishers, promoting yourself and your expertise, and determining what to charge. In addition to books there are articles, dissertations, brochures, reports, abstracts, editorials, reviews, ad copy, and much more. There is more to making a living as a freelance editor than correct English usage, sentence structure, and grammatical construction. Here, you’ll learn what you need to know to decide on a specialty and how to manage the business side of your career.