Comments on: Writers: How to Referee Style Rules

By: Mark McClure

Mark McClure — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:04:03 +0000

@Steve – The Queen’s English, indeed! I grew up with a version of that and still remain mystified on occasions!

Chicago manual of style online for $35 annually.
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html
Looks like a bargain.

Is anyone here a subscriber and care to comment on the value received?

By: Casey Hibbard

Casey Hibbard — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:48:25 +0000

Hi Steve,

Thanks for sharing that example. How nice to have a style guide from your UK client!

I have the AP Style Manual on my shelf as my default style, but I’m finding that our lexicon is changing so quickly with new words, that I need a new one every couple of years. Now you can subscribe to that and the Chicago manual online.

All the best,
Casey

By: Steve Rainwater

Steve Rainwater — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:24:01 +0000

I just did a first time case study for a company that handed me a brief style guide which accompanied their case study template. It was a first for me. It was really helpful because it is a UK client and I can always use help on the Queen’s English. It really simplified the process.

I often work for industries / clients where no one is leading a particluar way on style, so I keep my copy of Strunk & White close by. I graduated from college a long time ago but I still need something occasionally to help me sort through the Kate Turabian still in my head from those days.

By: Casey Hibbard

Casey Hibbard — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 20:50:55 +0000

Hi Jacqueline,

Thanks for your comment. My pleasure. I’ve found a few companies over the years have had their own style guides or know they want to use AP Style, but most need guidance on the matter.

Casey

By: Jacqueline Peters

Jacqueline Peters — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 19:56:09 +0000

Very good advice. It is something writers do not think about when approaching a project. So If the company doesn’t have their own guidelines, what style do you normally follow?
Thanks for bringing attention to the subject.

By: Casey Hibbard

Casey Hibbard — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:23:54 +0000

Hi Karen,

Yes, isn’t it nice to have a manual to fall back on when questions come up? “Look, the book says do this!” Sometimes clients are readily willing to go with what you say while others – with writing/English backgrounds – have opinions about how it should be based on their experience.

Thanks for the comment!

By: Karen Marley

Karen Marley — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:25:36 +0000

Timely advice! I just ran into this situation in two layers. I was writing an advertorial and had questions that weren’t addressed by magazine’s style guide. Then the responsibility came to me to referee the style edits for the client who had a different idea of what was correct…so I turned to the Chicago Manual of Style.

Thanks for a great analogy. It will help when the style issue inevitably comes up again.