Want to know what books Mark Nichol recommends on their reading list? We've researched interviews, social media posts, podcasts, and articles to build a comprehensive list of Mark Nichol's favorite book recommendations of all time.
1
The Copyeditor's Handbook is a lively, practical manual for newcomers to publishing and for experienced editors who want to fine-tune their skills or broaden their understanding of the craft. Addressed to copyeditors in book publishing and corporate communications, this thoughtful handbook explains what copyeditors do, what they look for when they edit a manuscript, and how they develop the editorial judgment needed to make sound decisions.
This revised edition reflects the most recent editions of The Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.), the Publication Manual of... more The Copyeditor's Handbook is a lively, practical manual for newcomers to publishing and for experienced editors who want to fine-tune their skills or broaden their understanding of the craft. Addressed to copyeditors in book publishing and corporate communications, this thoughtful handbook explains what copyeditors do, what they look for when they edit a manuscript, and how they develop the editorial judgment needed to make sound decisions.
This revised edition reflects the most recent editions of The Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.), the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.), and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (11th ed.). less 
Mark NicholIf you’re going to have just one book on a desert island and you are a writer, I would say this is the book to have. (Source)
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2
Mark NicholThis book is good for beginners, but I also find it helpful for people who might consider themselves experts. It’s very clean, and it’s in a workbook format with many exercises in it. You read a short, simple lesson about adjectives and adverbs, or about when you use ‘that’ or ‘which’ in a sentence, and then you can practise with the exercises. (Source)
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3
Today's writer needs more than just a solid knowledge of usage and composition to write successfully. Bestselling author Arthur Plotnik reveals the secrets to attention-grabbing, unforgettable writing, in this trade paperback edition.
Updated with all-new writing exercises, Spunk & Bite will help writers take books, articles, business reports, memos, and even e-mail messages to the next level. more Today's writer needs more than just a solid knowledge of usage and composition to write successfully. Bestselling author Arthur Plotnik reveals the secrets to attention-grabbing, unforgettable writing, in this trade paperback edition.
Updated with all-new writing exercises, Spunk & Bite will help writers take books, articles, business reports, memos, and even e-mail messages to the next level. less Mark NicholI really admire the author of Spunk & Bite for basically turning Strunk & White upside down and saying, ‘Yes, but no.' (Source)
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4
Newly Revised & Updated! The Eleventh Edition of America's Best-Selling Dictionary defines the current, active vocabulary of American English and is updated on an ongoing basis. [€[ More than 225,000 definitions and over 42,000 usage examples
[€[ Newly added words and meanings across a variety of fields including technology, entertainment, health, science, and society
[€[ Special sections include A Handbook of Style, Foreign Words and Phrases, Biographical Names, and Geographical Names
[€[ Includes an electronic version of the dictionary and a free... more Newly Revised & Updated! The Eleventh Edition of America's Best-Selling Dictionary defines the current, active vocabulary of American English and is updated on an ongoing basis. [€[ More than 225,000 definitions and over 42,000 usage examples
[€[ Newly added words and meanings across a variety of fields including technology, entertainment, health, science, and society
[€[ Special sections include A Handbook of Style, Foreign Words and Phrases, Biographical Names, and Geographical Names
[€[ Includes an electronic version of the dictionary and a free one-year online subscription to Merriam-WebsterUnabridged.com
[€[ New words include binge-watch, clickbait, takeaway, and troll less Mark NicholIn the United States, it is considered, among publishing companies, to be the dictionary of record. (Source)
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5
The first edition of Garner's Modern American Usage established Bryan Garner as "an American equivalent of Fowler" (Library Journal). With more than 23,500 copies sold, this witty, accessible, and engaging book has become the new classic reference work praised by professional copyeditors as well as the general public looking for clear advice on how to write more effectively. In 1999, Choice magazine named it an Outstanding Academic Book and the American Library Association dubbed it an Outstanding Reference Source. With thousands of succinct entries, longer essays on key issues and... more The first edition of Garner's Modern American Usage established Bryan Garner as "an American equivalent of Fowler" (Library Journal). With more than 23,500 copies sold, this witty, accessible, and engaging book has become the new classic reference work praised by professional copyeditors as well as the general public looking for clear advice on how to write more effectively. In 1999, Choice magazine named it an Outstanding Academic Book and the American Library Association dubbed it an Outstanding Reference Source. With thousands of succinct entries, longer essays on key issues and problematic areas, and up-to-the-minute judgments on everything from trendy words to the debate over personal pronouns, GMAU is approachable yet authoritative.
Since the book first appeared in 1998, Bryan Garner has diligently continued tracking how we use our language. The second edition includes hundreds of new entries ranging from Dubya to weaponize (coined in 1984 but used extensively since 9/11) to foot-and-mouth, plethora (a "highfalutin equivalent of too many"), Slang, Standard English, and Dialects. It also updates hundreds of existing entries. Meanwhile, Garner has written a major essay on the great grammar debate between descriptivists and prescriptivists. Painstakingly researched with copious citations from books and newspapers and newsmagazines, this new edition furthers Garner's mission to help everyone become a better writer, and to enjoy it in the process.
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