One of the handiest reference works available for writers is The Associated Press Stylebook. This invaluable volume has been used for decades, not only by reporters but people in PR, advertising and other professional writing settings. Though many usage and some grammar rules vary according to what style source you're consulting, an argument could be made that the AP stylebook is probably the most consulted.
If your job entails handling a lot of writing chores, get this respected reference work. Many book-store chains carry it, or you can order it directly from AP. Though a new edition comes out yearly, you don't have to buy a new copy that often. As helpful as the stylebook is for solving grammar and punctuation questions, its in-depth approach can make some information difficult to track down. That's why lists of common usages that have been extracted from the stylebook by a knowledgeable editor are particularly prized. Dan Santow, who pens the Word Wise blog, has assembled a practical list of AP style for various computer terms such as Web, URL and Internet. Dan's list gives you the AP take on this technical lingo without your having to burrow into the stylebook itself.
But you can't always rely on someone else's having gathered the information for you, so get your own copy of the book. You'll soon find it heavily annotated, dog-earred and bristling with sticky notes.
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