As a writer, you've spent months (maybe even years) writing, refining, and preparing your manuscript for the day that you can hand it to an editor to give it a final polish before submitting it to an agent, or to be published.
But, the first question you're asked is, "What style guide are you following?"
"Style guide? Eh? What's a style guide?"
In simple terms, a style guide is a set of "rules" specific to the type of writing you are doing (fiction, non-fiction), the location (UK, US, etc), the industry (medical, legal, news media, academic, etc), or the company branding.
When it comes to branding and industry, the choice of style guide will be SET by the client, and is mostly non-negotiable. However, with books (in particular, fiction), there are many options.
As a general rule, in the UK, fiction is written following New Hart's Rules (or Oxford Rules), and in the US, they follow the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS). Each sets "rules" regarding use of punctuation and grammar, as well as specific use of certain spellings, abbreviations, and other "writerly" issues. You'd imagine that they would be very similar, but unfortunately, there are a lot of differences (too many to discuss in detail here).
So how does a writer decide which to follow?
You might decide based on your location. A British writer might follow the UK conventions.
Or you might decide based on where your target reader is located. A UK writer aiming for a US market might use CMOS.
But does that mean you have to stick to every "rule" once you've decided which style guide to follow?
The answer to that can be spotted by my use of inverted commas. If you read some of the editing and proofreading forums, people get very territorial when it comes to style guides. They'll swear blind that they are correct simply because CMOS said so. But, in reality, which ever guide you use, it is a GUIDE, not a RULE.
Obviously, most of your editing will conform to conventions specified in the guide, but should the writer choose NOT to follow a specific "rule," is that allowed?
YES.
I've found that a lot of UK writers choose not to follow the inverted comma rules specified in NHR. New Hart's Rules says to use single inverted commas for direct speech, but most UK writers were taught at school to use double inverted commas (66, 99), so they CHOOSE to stick with that "rule." And that is FINE. The key is consistency. Use that change to the rule, by all means, but don't swap back and forth throughout the book.
To keep a track on what you have changed, and what you intend to continue using, a STYLE SHEET is used. Think of it as a "consistency checker."
A style sheet will be a living document that lists the main conventions that you intend to follow. Many will comply with the style guide of your choosing, but others won't. By recording them on the style sheet, you have a reference specific to your manuscript. You can refer to it if you forget the rules, and you can pass it to your publisher or agent (or editor) so that they have an idea of what rules you have employed. (Be aware that publishers will have their own, in house, guides, so expect many changes).
So, should a writer be using a style guide or style sheet BEFORE they begin work on their manuscript?
In an ideal world, they should be familiar with the basic rules they intend to follow. In an ideal world, they should start to compile a working style sheet (which can also be used to collate character/location details, descriptions, names, etc; key plot points; specific "unusual" spellings; and any other details relevant to the story).
But, this is not an ideal world.
For my clients, prior to starting any editing work, I supply a questionnaire which asks many of the questions relating to "style" that an editor needs answers to. It covers much that isn't relevant (as it is a general form), but it gives a basis on which I can begin a Style Sheet for that particular project. This sheet will then develop as the editing continues. Of course, should the author already have a working style sheet, even better, as much of the hard work will already be done.
Either way, once the project is complete, the writer will receive not only a "working copy" of their edited text, a "clean copy" of the same text, but also a detailed style sheet which can be passed to their agent/publisher, or kept as a reference for any future books (possibly in a series, in the same style). So far, my clients have given extremely positive feedback regarding my use of questionnaires and style sheets.
For information of my copyediting, line editing, and proofreading services, go to https://www.proofwriteuk.com where all of your questions will be answered.
If you'd like to discuss your manuscript's requirements, or would like to obtain a FREE quote (or a FREE 1000 word sample edit), please contact me through my website's "contact" page or via Facebook or X (Twitter).
Email: AJHeasman.ProofWrite@aol.com
I also offer my services through Fiverr
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