The Web Content Style Guide: The Essential Reference for Online Writers, Editors and Managers [Paperback]

Gerry McGovern (Author), Rob Norton (Author), Catherine O'Dowd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 2001

As quality becomes ever more critical in differentiating successful websites, the need for a professional approach to your content is growing. The Web Content Style Guide provides a set of standards and rules to ensure consistent quality content and a flawless service to your readers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Web Content Style Guide is a valuable resource for anyone involved in creating content for the Web."

Janette Young, Managing Information magazine "This comprehensive and authoritative overview of content management  starts with useful guidelines to writing and designing web material.     If only most webmasters could heed the sound advice given here, then   web surfing would be a much happier experience for us all! Following this, the glossary of terms and definitions also deserves  thorough reading. Even the more obvious terms are defined to  encyclopaedic depth that clearly has benefited from the authors'  wealth of experience in content management. I will certainly be  recommending this book to people who attend our writing for the web  courses." Malcolm Davison, Managing Director, writingfortheweb.co.uk  "The first chapter alone of The Web Content Style Guide is worth the price of the book.   Great ideas on writing for either traditional or web viewers. Easy to read and insightful."  Phil Matous, CEO, Taylor Community Credit Union, Michigan, USA

From the Back Cover

The definitive guide to best practice in web content writing, editing, and design

A successful, high-volume website demands professional, high-standard writing, editing, and design. The Web Content Style Guide is the first book to codify the rules and standards that make for effective web writing and layout, making it an essential reference, whether you are a writer, editor, or publisher of web content.

The book gives non-technical guidance on what works and what doesn't on the web, with plenty of examples. The book's easy-access A to Z format makes it a simple-to-use reference, ideal for all those involved in web publishing, at whatever level.

From accessibility to animation, from fonts to forms, from grammar to global navigation, The Web Content Style Guide takes you through all the vital topics in a clear and concise way that will earn it a permanent place by your keyboard.

As quality becomes ever more critical in differentiating successful websites, the need for a professional approach to your content is growing. The Web Content Style Guide provides a set of standards and rules to ensure consistent quality content and a flawless service to your readers.

The book is organized into three sections:

1. Introduction (includes an overview on writing and designing for the web)
   • writing for the reader, not for your ego
   • questioning every word and sentence: "is there a simpler way to say this?"
   • the critical importance of understanding your reader.
2. A to Z index
3. Additional material

Includes a sample style guide, list of further reading/online resources, and a quick-find index.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: FT Press; 1 edition (December 8, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0273656058
• ISBN-13: 978-0273656050
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,065,418 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not particularly impressive attempt at a web style guide, May 31, 2002

By 

L. Blackmore (Norwich, VT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Web Content Style Guide: The Essential Reference for Online Writers, Editors and Managers (Paperback)

My initially reaction was "wow, this is really useful." But a closer read left me disappointed. The initial 32 pages are a half-decent set of Miss Manners for web publishing, but nowhere near as comprehensive (or, IMHO, useful) as e.g. Krug's "Don't Make Me Think". The remaining 200 or so pages are an attempt at a glossary/style guide alphabet-style. Some of the definitions are useful enough - it is nice to finally have the web site/website discussion solved in print.

But it is unclear what ground the authors wanted to cover, and the selections are an odd bunch, many of the definitions are incomplete. Why is there a specific entry for "Australian dollar"? The definition of "authentication" talks only about credit card authorization - there's nothing about user authentication. And why does ASP get its own definition, while PHP, ColdFusion, Perl and any number of other technologies are omitted?

I was very impressed with McGovern and Norton's "Content Critical", but their style guide is a bit of a dud.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars First 30 pages are all you really need., October 31, 2003

By 

happy reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Web Content Style Guide: The Essential Reference for Online Writers, Editors and Managers (Paperback)

I'm a huge fan of McGovern, but this book isn't worth the money. You can actually read the first section of the book - the part I really loved - at his web site for free: www.gerrymcgovern.com. The "sample web style guide" at the end of the book is woefully underwritten. Buy CONTENT CRITICAL instead.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Almost Criminal, May 2, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Web Content Style Guide: The Essential Reference for Online Writers, Editors and Managers (Paperback)

This book is next to useless as a web style guide. Of the 224 pages only the first 35 pages are devoted to the topic of style. The rest of the book is a glossary of terms with little practical use. Most of the material presented in this book is available on the web for free and in greater detail.

My first glance through the book was a disappointment. Two days later I gave it a second chance but it confirmed my first impression so I sent it back.