In a follow-up to yesterday’s post on writing resources, someone asked on Facebook what references I use for writing style. My answer in general was that it depends heavily on the writing project. My first resource is the publisher’s own guidelines. Each publisher may have its own requiremente regarding writing style; and those are the first guidelines that I follow. Some general resources that I find very helpful for keeping up with grammar and the major writing styles that I use in doing academic writing and editing are below.
Grammar Helps
Writer’s Digest Grammar Desk Reference: The Definitive Source for Clear and Concise Writing
If you want to look something up by its grammatical subject, go to this book. It is arranged in a very logical manner, and there is not much missing.
Grammatically Correct: The Essential Guide to Spelling, Style, Usage, Grammar, and Punctuation
If you want a book that will help you fix your grammar, get this. Anne Stilman writes in a friendly and accessible tone that will help you identify your weaknesses and fix them.
Style Guides
The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition
If you specifically need to work with Chicago style, don’t be caught without the current edition of this book.
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Eighth Edition: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers
“Turabian” is the go-to book for seminaries and some other humanities school. Make sure you have the current edition. If you are behind, you are missing information about how to document electronic resources. This has been essential as more journals have begun hosting articles online and I have been using electronic resources like Logos, etc.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Edition
For anyone doing work with modern languages and literature, the MLA handbook is your style guide.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th Edition
APA style is used in psychology and related programs as well as in many general writing assignments that require parenthetical footnote citations. If you are a beginning freelancer, planning to do some pitching, and don’t really know which style manuals to invest in, I would recommend spending money on APA and Chicago if your budget is limited.
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