Selected Writing Resources
CREATIVE NONFICTION
The Art and Craft of Feature Writing, by William E. Blundell (Plume, 1986, 1988). Guide to feature writing by a former top Wall Street Journal editor.
Best American Magazine Writing 2002, edited by the American Society of Magazine Editors (Harperperennial Library, 2002). Winning entries in ASME annual competition.
Best American Magazine Writing 2001, edited by Harold Evans (Public Affairs, 2001). Winning entries in ASME annual competition.
Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life, by Philip Gerard (Story Press, 1996).
Follow the Story: How to Write Successful Nonfiction, by James B. Stewart (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, 1998). A master's blueprint for narrative writing.
Literary Journalism: A New Collection of the Best American Nonfiction, edited by Norman Sims and Mark Kramer (Ballantine, 1995).
The Magazine Article: How to Think It, Plan It, Write It, by Peter Jacobi (Indiana University Press, 1997).
National Writers Union Freelance Writers' Guide, 2nd edition, by the National Writers Union (Writer's Digest Books, 2000, or available from the NWU, www.nwu.org). Overview of the business side of freelance writing, from opportunities to contracts to taxes.
Professional Feature Writing, 4th edition, by Bruce Garrison (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004).
Writing Articles About the World Around You, by Marcia Yudkin (Writer's Digest Books, 1998) and Freelance Writing for Magazines and Newspapers: Breaking In Without Selling Out, by Marcia Yudkin (HarperCollins, 1993).
Writer's Market, published annually by Writer's Digest Books.
Writing About Business : The New Columbia Knight-Bagehot Guide to Economics and Business Journalism, edited by Terri Thompson (Columbia University Press, 2000). Simply the best book available on the topic, with chapters written mostly by journalists selected for the prestigious Columbia U Knight-Bagehot business-writing fellowships.
Guide to Writing for the Business Press, by Patrick Clinton (NTC Business Books, American Business Press, 1997). Comprehensive, practical primer to writing for business, trade, professional, or other specialty publications.
Best Business Stories of the Year, 2004 Edition, edited by Andrew Leckey and John C. Blogle (Vintage, 2004). Previous editions: 2003, edited by Andrew Leckey & Allan Sloan (Vintage); 2002 (Vintage), edited by Andrew Leckey and Ken Auletta; 2001, edited by Andrew Leckey and Marshall Loeb (Pantheon Books).
Best Business Crime Writing of the Year (Vintage, 2002), edited by James Surowiecki.
Business: The Ultimate Resource (Perseus Publishing, 2002). Exactly what it sounds like: an encyclopedia-style business reference book. Expensive, but well worth it.
Show Me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication, by Chris Roush (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2004).
The Fast Forward MBA in Business, by Virginia O'Brien (John Wiley & Sons, 1986). A great crash course on business trends and concepts. Part of the publisher's "Fast Forward MBA" series, which explains the oddly redundant title.
The Streetwise 24-Hour MBA, by Alexander Hiam (Adams Media Corp., 2000), particularly the chapter entitled "Financial Management Course."
The Manager's Guide series from Harvard Business School Press, mostly authored or co-authored by Peter G.W. Keen. Particularly useful as reference guides. Good bets include: Every Manager's Guide to Information Technology; Every Manager's Guide to Business Processes; A Manager's Guide to E-Commerce, etc.
How to Read a Financial Report, by John A. Tracy (John Wiley & Sons, many editions). Explains numbers in English.
The Computer Glossary: The Complete Illustrated Dictionary, by Alan Freedman (Amacon, many editions). Easy-to-use reference guide covers concepts, acronyms, jargon.
The Essential Guide to Computing, by E. Garrison Walters (Prentice Hall PTR, 2001). Good comprehensive guide to information technology for intermediate to advanced-level technology writers.
Find it Fast: How to Uncover Expert Information on Any Subject Online or in Print, by Robert I. Berkman (Harper Resource, 5th edition 2000).
Find it Online: The Complete Guide to Internet Research, by Alan M. Schein (BRB Publishing, 2000). Sources, tools, and tips from a veteran investigative reporter. Companion Web site: DeadlineOnline.com.
A Journalist's Guide to the Internet, by Christopher Callahan (Allyn & Bacon, 1999), with companion Web site.
All available from Amazon.
American Press Institute report on status of business journalism, 2003. Bottom line: Too few writers and editors do the job right. API simultaneously announced the creation of a new Center for Business Journalism.
"Follow the Money," by Lewis M. Simons, American Journalism Review, November 1999. Part of the lengthy "State of the American Newspaper" series at www.ajr.org.
"News in the Age of Money," cover package, Columbia Journalism Review, November-December 2000. Includes pieces on the rise of business writing, covering the New Economy, role models, etc.
Freedom Forum Report: Print Business Journalism in the Information Economy (Adobe Acrobat file)
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Updated April 2003