The Copyeditor’s One-Reference-Work Challenge

Here’s a challenge for you: You’re new to editing and can only afford one reference book. Which one do you purchase?

A reader recently asked me that, and I’m afraid I might have disappointed her by not naming a specific book.

An editor’s two most important resources are the dictionary and style manual required by the job or client. Bless the dictionary makers, the major American dictionaries are available in some format for free online.

That leaves the style manual. If you’re lucky to o...