Books

Books for technical writers and editors

This section of the site lists a library of books I recommend for technical writers, editors, consultants and instructors.

In the lists, each book is linked to Amazon Books in the USA and the UK (except when the book is not listed at one or the other). You can read their reviews and order the book if you wish. Some books have a separate “Review” link to my own comments on the book. As I find useful new books, I will add them to this list.

Writing

Editing & style guides

Indexing

Website and online help design

Website coding

Graphics and visual communication

Management, consulting, teleworking, getting started

Negotiation

Tool use

See also this page: Resources for writers and editors of Web sites.

Books: Graphics & visual communication

Books > Writing | Editing | Indexing | Website & help design | Website coding | Graphics | Management, business | Negotiation | Tool use | Operating systems Last updated 9 April 2007 — now very out of date! Graphics and visual communication designing web graphics.4, by Lynda Weinman Fourth Edition, New Riders, 2002, ISBN 0735710791. Envisioning Information, by Edward R. Tufte Graphics Press, 1990, ISBN 0961392118. The Icon Book, …

Books: Indexing

Books > Writing | Editing | Indexing | Website & help design | Website coding | Graphics | Management, business | Negotiation | Tool use | Operating systems Last updated 19 May 2008 — now very out of date! Indexing Books, by Nancy C. Mulvany Second edition, University of Chicago Press, 2005, ISBN 0226552764. The Art of Indexing, by Larry Bonura John Wiley & Sons, 1994, ISBN 0471014494. Indexes: A …

Books: Management, consulting, teleworking, getting started

Books > Writing | Editing | Indexing | Website & help design | Website coding | Graphics | Management, business | Negotiation | Tool use | Operating systems Last updated 9 April 2007 — now very out of date! Planning and managing projects e-Learning by Design, by William Horton Pfeiffer, 2006, ISBN 0787984256. Information Development: Managing Your Documentation Projects, Portfolio, and People, by JoAnn T. Hackos Wiley Publishing, 2007, ISBN …

Books: Negotiation and workplace relationships

Books > Writing | Editing | Indexing | Website & help design | Website coding | Graphics | Management, business | Negotiation | Tool use | Operating systems Last updated 18 November 2001 — now very out of date! This page lists some books that helped me learn a lot about dealing with workplace relationships. Of the many books I’ve read, some discuss the topics in ways that are useful …

Books: Operating systems

Books > Writing | Editing | Indexing | Website & help design | Website coding | Graphics | Management, business | Negotiation | Tool use | Operating systems Last updated 26 October 2008. I have now (August 2013) removed all the books listed then, because they refer to very out of date versions of software.

Books: Technical editing and style guides

Books > Writing | Editing | Indexing | Website & help design | Website coding | Graphics | Management, business | Negotiation | Tool use | Operating systems Last updated 1 November 2007 — now out of date! Editing Edit Yourself, by Bruce Ross-Larson W.W. Norton & Co., 1996, ISBN 0393313263. How to Edit Technical Documents, by Donald W. Bush Oryx, 1995, ISBN 0897748700. Levels of Technical Editing, by David …

Books: Technical writing

Books > Writing | Editing | Indexing | Website & help design | Website coding | Graphics | Management, business | Negotiation | Tool use | Operating systems Updated February 2007 — now very out of date! Clear technical writing, by John A. Brogan McGraw-Hill, 1973, ISBN 0070079749. Out of print, but available from Amazon.com. Designing web-based training, by William Horton “How to teach anyone anything anywhere anytime,” John Wiley …

Books: Tools for technical writers and editors

Books > Writing | Editing | Indexing | Website & help design | Website coding | Graphics | Management, business | Negotiation | Tool use | Operating systems This page was last updated 28 October 2008. I have now (August 2013) removed all the books listed then, because they refer to very out of date versions of software. See also the page on graphics for graphics tools.

Books: Website and online help design

Books > Writing | Editing | Indexing | Website & help design | Website coding | Graphics | Management, business | Negotiation | Tool use | Operating systems Updated 17 April 2007 — now very out of date! Websites: design, writing, usability, accessibility Content Management for Dynamic Web Delivery, by JoAnn T. Hackos Wiley, 2002, ISBN 0471085863. Designing Web Navigation: Optimizing the User Experience, by Jim Kalbach O’Reilly Media, 2007, …

Books: Website coding (HTML, CSS, etc.)

Books > Writing | Editing | Indexing | Website & help design | Website coding | Graphics | Management, business | Negotiation | Tool use | Operating systems Last updated 1 October 2007 — now very out of date! Web sites: coding (HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc) Bulletproof Web Design, by Dan Cederholm “Improving flexibility and protecting against worst-case scenarios with XHTML and CSS,” 2nd edition, New Riders Press, 2007, ISBN …

Branding Yourself Online: book review

Poor Richard’s Branding Yourself Online, by Bob Baker, Top Floor Publishing, 2001, ISBN 1930082142. Reviewed by Jean Hollis Weber This book is aimed at individuals such as writers, artists, musicians and other creative people. Thus it is also quite relevant to any consultants, contractors, or freelances, all of whom need to market themselves and their …

Electronic editing – Contents

Electronic editing – Contents by Jean Hollis Weber Published by WeberWoman’s Wrevenge 248 pages ISBN 0-646-38037-0 For downloading, ordering, and payment information, see this page. Table of Contents Chapter 1 Defining the electronic editor’s roleWhat do electronic editors edit? Examples of material edited What work does the electronic editor’s role include? What are the benefits …

Electronic editing: Editing in the computer age

by Jean Hollis Weber Published by WeberWoman’s WrevengeOctober 1999 248 pages ISBN 0-646-38037-0 This book is very out of date, except for the first two chapters. Although you are welcome to download and buy it, I recommend Geoff Hart’s new book, Effective onscreen editing, available here. A quick start guide for editing students, experienced editors …

How to pay for my books

For more information on each book, click on its name. Book title Download PDF Printed Taming OpenOffice.org Writer 1.1 – NLA See OpenOffice.org Writer for replacement book. No longer availablePay for previously downloaded copies US$10, A$16.50 No longer available Editing Online Help – NLA See Is the Help Helpful? for replacement book. No longer availablePay …

How to pay for my books using PayPal

You can pay for downloaded copies of my self-published books, and some printed copies, using PayPal. Please click one of the links below. Printed copies of some books are also available through Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Links are provided below. Is the Help Helpful? and OpenOffice.org Writer are only available through Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and the publishers. …

Internet Marketing and Promotions: book review

Poor Richard’s Internet Marketing and Promotions, Peter Kent and Tara Calishain Top Floor Publishing, 1999, ISBN 0966103270 Reviewed by Jean Hollis Weber This book is subtitled “How to Promote Yourself, Your Business, Your Ideas Online: Geek-Free Commonsense Advice on Getting the Word Out in Cyberspace.” I gave Peter Kent’s first book in this series, “Poor …

Is the Help Helpful?

How to create online help that meets your users’ needs by Jean Hollis Weberpublished by HentzenwerkeOctober 2004ISBN 1930919603 For more information, and to order this book, visit http://www.hentzenwerke.com/catalog/ithh.htm. You can also order the book from Amazon.com.  NOTE: Free copy of PDF available here.  December 2005: This book has won the Best of Show award in …

Making Money in Technical Writing: book review

Originally published in Keyword, Vol. 8, No. 1, March 1998 (Journal of the Australian Society for Technical Communication) Making Money in Technical Writing, by Peter Kent, Macmillan, 1998, ISBN 0028618831 Reviewed by Jean Hollis Weber Making Money in Technical Writing is subtitled Turn Your Writing Skills into $100,000 a year. If that sounds a bit …

O’Reilly books on Mac OS X

Reviews by Eric Lindsay, who bought a Mac in March 2004 after years of using Unix, Windows, and earlier operating systems, and wanted more information than the Mac’s online help provides Mac OS X Panther Edition The Missing Manual by David Pogue Pogue Press, O’Reilly, Dec 2003, 763pp, ISBN 0596006152. The Missing Manual series promote …

Poor Richard’s Internet Recruiting: book review

Poor Richard’s Internet Recruiting, Barbara Ling, Top Floor Publishing, 2001, ISBN 1930082010. Reviewed by Jean Hollis Weber This book is filled with useful information, but it needs a good editor to cut out a lot of the repetition and generally tighten it up. That complaint aside, the value of the contents is high enough that …

Poor Richard’s Web Site Marketing Makeover: book review

Poor Richard’s Web Site Marketing Makeover, Marcia Yudkin, Top Floor Publishing, 2001, 350 pp, ISBN 1930082169. Reviewed by Jean Hollis Weber Whatever the subject or purpose of your website, you’re probably hoping for some positive response from your visitors. You might want them to join an organisation; attend a conference; offer you an interview (or …

Taming Microsoft Word (for v. 6, 95, 97)

by Jean Hollis Weber 116 pages ISBN 0-9578419-2-2 Published February 26, 2001 Other versions available:Taming Microsoft Word 2002Taming Microsoft Word 2000 Available formats Downloaded copy (PDF) – Sale, US$6.00, A$10.00 Printed copy – Out of stock To download a copy now, choose the paper size you use. You may need to right-click and choose Save …

Taming Microsoft Word 2000

by Jean Hollis Weber 120 pages ISBN 0-9578419-3-0 Published March 6, 2002 Other editions: Taming Microsoft Word (for v. 6, 95, 97)Taming Microsoft Word 2002 Available formats for Taming Microsoft Word 2000 Downloaded copy (PDF e-book) – suitable for Acrobat E-book readerThis version can be printed but cannot be moved to another computer. You can …

Taming Microsoft Word 2002

by Jean Hollis Weber 122 pages ISBN 0-9578419-4-9 Published by WeberWoman’s WrevengeOctober 10, 2002 Table of Contents Other editions: Taming Microsoft Word (for v. 6, 95, 97)Taming Microsoft Word 2000 Available formats for Taming Microsoft Word 2002 Downloaded copy (E-book)Downloaded copy (PDF)Printed copy Downloaded copy (E-book) Suitable for Acrobat E-book reader (PCs only). This version …

Taming Microsoft Word 2002 – Contents

Formats, prices, and how to order Table of Contents Chapter 1 Setting up Word to work your way Controlling the Office AssistantDisabling personalized menusChoosing save options and default formatDisplaying paragraph marks, tabs, text boundaries, and other items Choosing editing options Choosing printing optionsChoosing general optionsPreparing for spelling and grammar checking     Choose the spelling and grammar …