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Mini Style Guide
An Introduction to Good Writing and Manuscript Presentation
By Denise O'Hagan, Robert Fairhead (Foreword by)

Rating
4 Ratings |
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Format
Paperback, 260 pages
Published
United States, 1 October 2018

An easy-to-use guide for writers, editors and students The Mini Style Guide covers the fundamentals of good writing and explains how to present a manuscript for publication. It is written in a direct and accessible manner suitable for all ages and backgrounds, and assumes no prior knowledge of the writing trade or the publishing industry. Explanations are accompanied by plentiful 'real life' examples, and each chapter opens with a humorous quotation. The book consists of three parts. Part 1 covers the essence of good writing, both factual and non-factual. It covers the principles of Plain English; words that are often misused or misspelled; and common grammatical and punctuation errors. Differences between Australian, British and American English are explored; inclusive writing is defined; and copyright law as it applies to writers is clarified. Part 2 explains the technicalities of how to present a manuscript. It examines the advantages and disadvantages of working exclusively on computer and working partly on hard copy; outlines the structure of a manuscript and the order of its various components; and explains how to compile a contents page to reflect the heading hierarchy. It explains how to treat quotations, lists, abbreviations and numbers; offers advice on presenting illustrations, tables, charts and graphs; and discusses bibliographical material and indexes. Part 3 explores possible publishing avenues; that is, commercial publishers, literary agents and self-publishing. It defines the role of each; explains which one is best suited to which type of writing; and includes advice on how to write a synopsis, select sample chapters and draft a covering letter. The Appendix contains templates of standard forms and letters that can be photocopied and tailored to suit individual needs. The Glossary contains commonly used terms to do with writing, publishing and printing. The Bibliography contains sources used and recommended. Foreword by Robert Fairhead, book reviewer at Writing NSW.


Denise O'Hagan is an editor by trade. Born and raised in Italy, she lived in the UK before emigrating to Australia in 1990. She holds an MA in Bibliography and Textual Criticism, and worked in book publishing in London (Collins, Heinemann, Routledge) and Sydney (Harcourt Brace, Cambridge University Press, State Library of NSW). In 2015 she set up her own imprint, Black Quill Press, to offer editorial services to assist independent writers. A member of the Australian Institute of Professional Editors, she is proud to have been short-listed for the inaugural Rosanne Fitzgibbon Editorial Prize, 2017, for her work on her late mother's novel Jerome & His Women. She has also published fiction and poetry. Website: https://blackquillpress.com/

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Product Description

An easy-to-use guide for writers, editors and students The Mini Style Guide covers the fundamentals of good writing and explains how to present a manuscript for publication. It is written in a direct and accessible manner suitable for all ages and backgrounds, and assumes no prior knowledge of the writing trade or the publishing industry. Explanations are accompanied by plentiful 'real life' examples, and each chapter opens with a humorous quotation. The book consists of three parts. Part 1 covers the essence of good writing, both factual and non-factual. It covers the principles of Plain English; words that are often misused or misspelled; and common grammatical and punctuation errors. Differences between Australian, British and American English are explored; inclusive writing is defined; and copyright law as it applies to writers is clarified. Part 2 explains the technicalities of how to present a manuscript. It examines the advantages and disadvantages of working exclusively on computer and working partly on hard copy; outlines the structure of a manuscript and the order of its various components; and explains how to compile a contents page to reflect the heading hierarchy. It explains how to treat quotations, lists, abbreviations and numbers; offers advice on presenting illustrations, tables, charts and graphs; and discusses bibliographical material and indexes. Part 3 explores possible publishing avenues; that is, commercial publishers, literary agents and self-publishing. It defines the role of each; explains which one is best suited to which type of writing; and includes advice on how to write a synopsis, select sample chapters and draft a covering letter. The Appendix contains templates of standard forms and letters that can be photocopied and tailored to suit individual needs. The Glossary contains commonly used terms to do with writing, publishing and printing. The Bibliography contains sources used and recommended. Foreword by Robert Fairhead, book reviewer at Writing NSW.


Denise O'Hagan is an editor by trade. Born and raised in Italy, she lived in the UK before emigrating to Australia in 1990. She holds an MA in Bibliography and Textual Criticism, and worked in book publishing in London (Collins, Heinemann, Routledge) and Sydney (Harcourt Brace, Cambridge University Press, State Library of NSW). In 2015 she set up her own imprint, Black Quill Press, to offer editorial services to assist independent writers. A member of the Australian Institute of Professional Editors, she is proud to have been short-listed for the inaugural Rosanne Fitzgibbon Editorial Prize, 2017, for her work on her late mother's novel Jerome & His Women. She has also published fiction and poetry. Website: https://blackquillpress.com/

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Product Details
EAN
9780648002055
ISBN
0648002055
Dimensions
21 x 14.8 x 1.4 centimeters (0.36 kg)

About the Author

Denise O'Hagan is an editor by trade. Born and raised in Italy, she lived in the UK before emigrating to Australia in 1990. She holds an MA in Bibliography and Textual Criticism, and worked in book publishing in London (Collins, Heinemann, Routledge) and Sydney (Harcourt Brace, Cambridge University Press, State Library of NSW). In 2015 she set up her own imprint, Black Quill Press, to offer editorial services to assist independent writers. A member of the Australian Institute of Professional Editors, she is proud to have been short-listed for the inaugural Rosanne Fitzgibbon Editorial Prize, 2017, for her work on her late mother's novel Jerome & His Women. She has also published fiction and poetry. Website: https: //blackquillpress.com/ Robert Fairhead is editor and writer at TallAndTrue.com and book reviewer for Writing NSW.

Reviews

'With the Mini Style Guide on your desk, you can be a good writer and a good editor!'
-- Robert Fairhead, editor and writer at TallAndTrue.com and book reviewer for Writing NSW'I believe that this is the first style guide aimed specifically at the independent or self-published author. It's a joy to read and will give writers the confidence needed to produce and publish their own books.'
-- Anna Foster, author'A highly informative, professionally written and presented reference book for writers, educators and libraries.'
-- Robert Challis, author'Provides quick, easy access to the answers you need without interrupting the process of writing ... It gives quick solutions with the reassurance of practical explanations which allow the writer to go ahead with the confidence of being up to date and correct.'
-- Helen Gamble, Amazon review'Examples are spot-on ... It's concise, explanatory and most importantly it's written in a manner I understand.'
-- Fiona O'Connor, Amazon review

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Customer Reviews
5 out of 5 | From 4 Customer Ratings

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By Anonymous on April 24, 2019
Great writing resource that helps with all those awkward questions to do with grammar and punctuation. Fantastic examples!
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By Anonymous on February 24, 2019
The Mini Style Guide is a succinct and helpful handbook for aspiring writers. It lays out the rules and conventions of writing, as well as tips for surmounting the hurdles of publishing which so many writers face, in a clear and concise manner. A valuable resource for ambitious writers and published authors alike.
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By Anonymous on November 6, 2018
Smart little writing guide, great examples, and gets to the point without fuss.
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By Anonymous on October 17, 2018
I believe that this is the first style guide aimed specifically at the independent or self-published author. It’s a joy to read and will give writers the confidence needed to produce and publish their own books. Indie writers and editors need to know as much about desktop publishing, and the marketing and distribution of books, as they do about the rules of grammar and punctuation. The Mini Style Guide delivers both; the familiar devils of ‘there’ and ‘their’ are dealt with but, just as usefully, templates for copyright permission requests and artwork briefs are included. Even if you’re going down the traditional publishing route, advice is given on how to compose a synopsis, and choose your sample chapters. I particularly like Denise O’Hagan’s use of quotations, both humorous and serious, as in her quoting of Churchill, ‘Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words, when short, are best of all.’ She has followed his advice well. O’Hagan has years of experience working as an editor, both in the UK and Australia. Her knowledge shines through and I thoroughly recommend this easy-to-use Guide to writers and editors alike.
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