APCC Publications

The Consultant's Bookshelf

APCC Recommended Resources for Communication Consultants
Rev. 1/02

A Note about This List

First on our list of recommendations, especially for individuals who are considering or starting a communication consulting business, are the APCC publications Resources for Writing Consultants and Getting Started in Consulting. 

In addition, the following resources should help you address a number of concerns common to new consultants, including: 

  • Deciding whether consulting is for you.
     
  • Deciding what kind of consulting you should do.
     
  • Refreshing your own communication skills, especially those that are the valued standards outside of academe.
     
  • Familiarizing yourself with the forms and contexts of business and technical communication.
     
  • Managing all the details that are part of setting up your own business.

APCC Board members compiled this selective list, which is a work in progress. It includes only publications that experienced communication consultants have found valuable. As an APCC member, you will be informed when new editions of the list are available. 

Any reading list runs the risk of obsolescence. Causal factors include the explosion of consulting as a career option, the global effect of computerized communications, and rapid changes in the business world. We encourage you to continue broadening your expertise by searching bookstores and Internet sources for additional titles.

Choose from the list of topics below to see the recommended resources:

Related Professional Organizations

These and other organizations typically publish journals that should be available at good academic or public libraries. Consult the Directory of Associations for current membership information and addresses, or visit their homepages.

Association for Business Communication 
http://www.theabc.org/ 

American Society for Training and Development
http://www.astd.org/ 

Society for Technical Communication
http://stc.org/ 

International Association of Business Communicators
http://www.iabc.com/homepage.htm 



And Don’t Forget. . .

Current books by management and leadership gurus such as:

  • Ken Blanchard (Empowerment Takes More than a Minute)
     
  • James Champy (Reengineering Management)
     
  • James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras (Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies)
     
  • Stephen Covey (First Things First)
     
  • Peter Drucker (Managing for the Future)
     
  • Tom Peters (Thriving on Chaos)
     
  • Robert Mager (What Every Manager Should Know about Training)
     
  • Peter Senge (The Fifth Discipline: the Learning Organization)

that help you understand current issues and decision-making strategies in corporate and not-so-corporate America.