Looking for good books on technical writing, style guides, technical communication and DITA? Here’s some books I’ve bought and others that I want to buy. The ones by IBM are terrific. Bit pricey but worth the money.
Technical Writing
Guidelines to managing every phase of the project from planning and development, through production, distribution, and project evaluation.
- Managing Your Documentation Projects
- Technical Writing: A Practical Guide for Engineers and Scientists (What Every Engineer Should Know)
- A Handbook for Technical Writers and Editors – Grammar, Punctuation, and Capitalization
- Team Writing: A Guide to Working in Groups
- Managing Writers: A Real World Guide To Managing Technical Documentation
Style Guides
The IBM Style Guide: Conventions for Writers and Editors
What a great book! Ms. Hargis has developed a manual that provides readily-accessible and practical information regarding the technical writing process. I use this book almost as often as my Microsoft Manual of Style.
“Yahoo!’s editors have given the rules of the writing road a smart and timely reboot. It’s Strunk and White for the online world.”—Arianna Huffington, cofounder, The Huffington Post
The Elements of Technical Writing
I found this book to be extremely useful. It was easy to read and clearly pointed out the major elements in technical writing. I recommend it to anyone who needs a boost in their writing.
Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications
While it’s been a few years since the previous edition, Microsoft has made up for that by changing the book’s format and including three “ebooks” on the CD that comes with the book.
Just as many writers reserve a space on their book shelves for the thin but essential work of William Strunk and E.B. White, a similar space should be hallowed out for The Web Style Guide.”—John Mello, HR Today
Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry
“It’s clear, consistent, and presents advanced topics in an actionable and approachable manner.” —Jakob Nielsen, Principal, Nielsen Norman Group
IBM – Developing Quality Technical Information
If you are writing help, or any other technical documentation, this *is* the book for you. I highly recommend this book.
“I choose the Handbook of Technical Writing because I want students to have a single, reliable, versatile and broad-ranging text that will serve them well in a variety of circumstances.” –Ralph Batie, Oregon Institute of Technology
Garner’s Modern American Usage
This is a highly readable and, yet, erudite book. Written as a reference, it is so entertaining it keeps you reading even after you’ve already found what you were looking up.
Technical Communications
Mike Markel is the former editor of IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication and author of six books about technical communication.
Technical Communication Fundamentals
Designed for flexibility, the book provides 90 model documents, 50 interactive documents, tutorials, activities, and case studies.
Strategies for Technical Communication in the Workplace
Hands-on features include Let’s Get Started prompts, marginal notes, in-chapter Strategies boxes, Checklists and exercises.
Pocket Guide to Technical Communication
Handy reference for on-the-job business, technical and scientific writing. Its brief format provides quick, easy-to-read answers to common writing problems.
“I like the Anderson book because it doesn’t leave out any topics we currently cover. The approach is fresh, and the graphics make sections stand out.”
DITA
DITA Best Practices: A Roadmap for Writing, Editing, and Architecting in DITA
The authors answer crucial questions the “official” DITA documents ignore, including: Where do you start? What should you know up front? What are the pitfalls in implementing DITA? How can you avoid those pitfalls?
The DITA Style Guide: Best Practices for Authors
Comprehensive, practical explanations of DITA elements and attributes. Real-world examples and clear recommendations show you how to create consistent, semantically correct DITA content.