<p><strong><em>An easy-to-use guide for writers, editors and students</em></strong></p><p>The <em>Mini Style Guide</em> 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 &lsquo;real life&rsquo; examples, and each chapter opens with a humorous quotation. The book consists of three parts.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>The Appendix contains templates of standard forms and letters that can be photocopied and tailored to suit individual needs.</p><p>The Glossary contains commonly used terms to do with writing, publishing and printing.</p><p>The Bibliography contains sources used and recommended.</p><p>Foreword by Robert Fairhead, book reviewer at Writing NSW.</p>