The book is designed
as a compilation of best practices for
professional editors, but it’s also
a window into the world of business reporting
for journalism students. Its
case studies are by editors who are members
of, or have had their work
recognized by, ASBPE or Trade
Association and Business Publications International.
The book is designed for use by working editors
as well as by journalism instructors as supplementary reading
on business publication editing.
Books
listed below can be bought via Amazon.
When you purchase books at Amazon through
this
page, ASBPE gets
a percentage of each purchase.
You
can also support ASBPE by buying any
product Amazon sells, business-related
or not, via this
search window.
Guide to Writing for the Business Press
by Patrick Clinton
This authoritative source of information about
the business press takes the reader through key elements of
writing for the action-oriented, reader-directed information
publications that are the genre.
Health Professionals Stylebook: Putting
your Language to Work
by Shirley Fondiller, Barbara J. Nerone
Springer Publishing Company
(Second edition, Aug. 7, 2006)
Ideal for editors who work on health-related
material. Note: This title is out of print. You may request
an out-of-print search from Amazon. Alternatively, you may call
the number above to get information from the publisher.
Math Tools for
Journalists
by Kathleen Woodruff
Wickham, Ed.D.
(Second
edition, 2003)
R — reviewed
in the March/April 2005 issue of
ASBPE Editor’s Notes; ASBPE
members can read the review.
This small book is a
most useful reference tool for all journalists,
especially those in the business press.
Explains the true
importance of the numbers we look at, the
validity of the many statistics we see
each day, or the real meaning of financial
data.
Understanding
Financial Statements: A Journalist’s
Guide
by Jay Taparia,
CFA
R — reviewed
in the March/April 2005 issue of ASBPE Editor’s
Notes; ASBPE
members can read the review.
A “concise primer” is
the way Jay Taparia describes his guide
to financial statements for journalists.
Although the book is short, it provides
a good level of depth, moving from basics
to details, while helping to teach journalists
not only how to look at numbers but how
to find the stories behind them.
Writing and Editing (General)
The Associated Press Guide to News Writing
by Rene J. Cappon
Style guide for reporters,
writers, editors, and English and journalism
students. Explains how to write a
good story, how to cite sources, etc.,
with examples from newspapers.
To get the latest updates
as soon as they're available, you can subscribe
to the guide online.
The Elements of Style (Fourth Paperback edition,
Aug. 2, 1999)
The
Elements of Style (50th Anniversary Hardcover
edition, Oct. 25, 2008)
by William Strunk, E. B. White
Still the source.
On Writing Well : An Informal Guide to
Writing Nonfiction
by William Zinsser
(30th anniversary edition,
May 9, 2006)
A
Practical Guide to Graphics Reporting: Information
Graphics for Print, Web & Broadcast
by Jennifer George-Palilonis
R — reviewed
in the January/February 2009 issue of ASBPE Editor’s
Notes; ASBPE
members can read the review by downloading the newsletter.
(276K PDF).
Write Tight: Say Exactly What You Want With Precision and Power
by William Brohaugh
Writing
and Editing (Technical)
Clear
Technical Writing
by John A. Brogan
Recommended by editor
Joy Curtis.
Design
Editing by Design
by Jan White
If there ever was a perfect
manual on magazine design and the presentation
of content for both editors and designers,
this is it.
White is a visual journalist and an editorial designer of
the highest caliber. His book examines the necessary cooperation
of editors and designers and the “how-to” of
product-making and storytelling with a service journalism,
reader-friendly approach.
This is also one of
the most enjoyable manuals you’ll ever read.
Read
about Jan White and his design philosophy.
(Article
orginally appeared in ASBPE Editor’s
Notes, July/August 2007.)
The
Non-Designer’s
Design Book
by Robin Williams
If
you would like to make your page layouts
better, but don’t know where to start,
you should read this book. It gives a quick,
basic understanding
of some design fundamentals. It’s
especially useful if you’ve been
drafted into double duty as a part-time
designer. Covers topics
like combining typefaces, using white space
effectively, readability, and more.
The Internet
Designing Web Usability
by Jakob Neilsen
From the reigning guru of web design. Neilsen
is well known (and respected) among web heads for his extensive
research on usability.
HTML,
XHTML & CSS
For Dummies
by Ed Tittel and Jeff Noble
HTML, XHTML, and CSS, Sixth Edition (Visual Quickstart Guide)
by Elizabeth Castro
(Sixth edition, Aug. 26, 2006)
An excellent reference. Clearly explains the
basics that anyone setting out to design a web site needs to
know, including:
and provides a reference
on HTML and CSS.
Information Architecture for the World Wide Web: Designing Large-Scale Web Sites
by Louis Rosenfeld and Peter Morville
R — the
first edition of this book was reviewed
in the March/April 2004 issue of ASBPE Editor’s
Notes; ASBPE
members can read the review.
Good Web sites (and magazines)
have architectures that
organize information and help readers find and use it. In
this book, you’ll
learn how to develop a strong, cohesive vision for your site
that
is distinctive and usable; organize your site’s hierarchy
in ways that are meaningful to its users and that minimize
site re-engineering; create navigation systems so that users
can move
through the site without getting lost and frustrated; and
more.
Research, Interviewing
and Reporting
24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America
by Rebecca Smith and John R. Emschwiller
The two reporters, who broke crucial
aspects of the Enron story, detail the unfolding of the
scandal.
The authors
spoke about their reporting and what it was like to collaborate
on the stories at two ASBPE chapter events.
ASBPE
members can see what they had to say in
the September/October 2003 issue of ASBPE Editor’s
Notes.
The Interviewer's Handbook: A Guerilla Guide:
Techniques & Tactics for Reporters & Writers
by John Brady
Note: This title is sold by the
author, who offers a professional discount of 20% (discounted
price:
$15.95).
R — reviewed
in the November/December 2007 issue of ASBPE
Editor’s Notes; ASBPE
members can read the review by downloading
the newsletter (276K
PDF).
Tips from an experienced
journalist who frequently speaks at conferences
on the topic. Includes tips on topics such
as:
- doing e-mail
interviews;
- handling sources;
- keeping the interview under control;
- overcoming objections;
- getting the right background
before you get on the phone;
- dealing with ethical
issues;
- asking the best questions
to get people to open up;
- working with PR departments;
- “breathing life and
personality” into telephone and e-mail
interviews.
The Craft of Interviewing
by John Brady
Note: This title is sold
by the author, who offers a professional
discount
of 20% (discounted price: $12.00).
Brady, a journalist, teacher, and consultant
who has interviewed subjects ranging from Lee Atwater to Jerry
Springer, offers excellent advice on conducting interviews—a
skill that is often given short shrift in journalism courses.
Creative
Interviewing: The Writer's Guide to Gathering
Information by Asking Questions
by Ken Metzler
(Third edition, Sept. 20, 1996)
Novice interviewers may find this book useful,
especially if they have come to the business press via industry
rather than journalism. Covers pre-interview research and preparation,
tips for conducting a good interview, how to get good anecdotes
from the interviewee, how to develop interviewing skills, and
more.
The Reporters Handbook:
An Investigator's Guide to Documents and Techniques
by Steve Weinberg
An essential tool for journalists that identifies
hundreds of documents and human sources in the private sector
and government. Includes step by step methods for tracking paper
trails, computer trails, and people trails.
Style Guides
The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law
(July 2007 edition)
Note: You can also subscribe
to the Stylebook online to get real-time updates; site licenses are available.
The AP Stylebook is the editor's bible, an
essential handbook for all writers and editors. Clearly presents
rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage. It also
includes crucial advice on how to guard against libel and a
guide to copyright and fair use.
The Chicago Manual of Style
(15th Edition, August 2003)
Published by University of Chicago Press
R — This
edition of the Chicago Manual was
reviewed in the November/December 2003
issue of
ASBPE Editor’s Notes; ASBPE
members can read the review.
Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications
(Third Edition, July 2004)
by Microsoft Corporation
Guidelines on how to
use and spell computer-related
terms, with advice on
technical writing and design and interface
issues. “... not my first choice” but “[g]oes
into quite a bit of detail on things for
the Internet,”
notes B2B editor Joy Curtis.
Science
and Technical Writing: A Manual of Style
(Second Edition, December 2000)
by Philip Rubens, General Editor
Recommended by B2B editor
Joy Curtis.
The Yahoo! Style Guide: The Ultimate Sourcebook for Writing, Editing, and Creating Content for the Digital World
Recommended by ASBPE member Maureen Alley.
R — reviewed
on the ASBPE National Blog; read the review.
