Unless you’re immersed in the world of writing and editing, the term style guide may as well be from a foreign language. I know I never heard of it before becoming an editor. But if your writing is intended for an audience, a style guide (or style sheet) is essential. But what exactly is it?
Believe it or not, you’ve probably used one before. Think about high school essays. Did your teacher ever give you a word count? Did an essay need to be in a certain font or font size? Were there terms you were required to use? A specific way you had to cite your sources?
These are all requirements for a specific piece of writing. And that’s exactly what a style guide is.
Although style guides can include linguistic elements, they aren’t about grammar rules. They won’t tell you how a semicolon works or how to proofread. They will tell you, though, which preferences to adhere to in your writing when English gets a bit more flexible. Let’s look at a few examples.
Style Manuals
Maybe you’ve heard of AP, MLA, or Chicago manuals. These are just a few of the major style manuals that are widely known and used by writers. (These are also commonly referred to as style guides and style books, but we’ll stick with manuals to keep things simple.)
Style manuals affect various aspects of writing, such as capitalization, punctuation, and citations. Oftentimes, a company may use one of these major styles while also using their own personalized style guide. So, while a style manual is more generalized, a personalized style guide is specific to one writer or company.
Dialect
If you’ve ever gotten confused as to whether to write dreamed or dreamt, the key is to know which English dialect you’re using. In this instance, it’s American English versus UK English. This difference is often implied instead of clearly written out in a style guide, but not in every case. Knowing which dialect to use not only affects how certain words are spelled but also changes certain grammar rules altogether. So, knowing the dialect is essential to the writing as a whole.
Spelling
There are further elements that could require specific spelling. Think about store or product names. You won’t often find these terms in your dictionary search. And sometimes these names have even changed over time. Walmart, for instance, used to be spelled Wal-Mart. In most cases, you’d probably assume it should be spelled out as it is today, but what if the text is written from the viewpoint of someone living prior to the change? The writer may very well want to write it as it was known in that time period.
Differences in spelling should also be noted when it comes to names. My name alone can be spelled as Emily, Emilee, Emilie, and Emmalee. But the list doesn’t stop there. Keeping this specification in a style guide ensures accuracy and consistency (not to mention saving the writer from possible embarrassment!).
Capitalization
The most common area to see a style preference when it comes to capitalization is with headings. There are multiple ways you can capitalize a heading (title case and sentence case being popular ways). These cases dictate which words in the heading should be capitalized.
Although there are general rules about how to capitalize business titles and program names, some companies prefer their own rules. Those instances really show the flexibility we have in writing.
Grammar
One thing you wouldn’t expect to change is grammar. It’s cut and dry, right? Not always. The most common example is the use of the Oxford (or serial) comma. And believe it or not, this little comma has brought on large debates. Most of the time, the rules for this comma are dependent on which English dialect you’re using, but some writers prefer to keep it or leave it just based on appearance.
Poor, little comma…
Grammar can also be affected by the tone of the writing. Think about the way we speak. We don’t always use complete sentences. We don’t always use real words! In the case of writing, an informal voice can throw grammar out the window. Yes, writing is not all that rigid after all.
Tone
As we just saw, the tone of our message greatly affects our writing. A style guide can tell you whether the writing should be formal or informal. This can affect preferences in vocabulary, use of contractions, starting sentences with coordinating conjunctions, and more.
The tone of the piece is largely impacted by identifying your target audience. The tone of a business report, for example, will be vastly different than that of a kid’s book!
Visual Elements
Especially when it comes to branding, the correct logo is a must. Just like we discussed with company names changing over time, company logos can change too. Beyond that, a company’s whole color scheme could change, thus making it crucial to double-check every element of the project you’re working on.
However, there are more things to consider when looking over visual elements. For example, are there logos in pictures that should be avoided? Are there things that the client deems inappropriate for the audience, such as certain styles of dress in a kid’s book? These are just a few examples that you wouldn’t see in a style manual but could definitely see in a style guide.
Formatting
Formatting is largely based on opinion. It can be chosen solely on what the writer thinks looks nice. The key here, then, is consistency. So, a style guide is a great memory aid. If you can’t remember if paragraphs should be indented, for example, all you have to do is take a quick look at your style guide, and the answer is right there!
Other Factors
There are other preferences or requirements that are commonly seen in a style guide, such as how to write citations, whether to spell out numbers or use numerals, and a list of terms that should be used or avoided. Of course, this is definitely not a list of every possible thing you’ll see in a style guide. As you can see, because preferences vary from writer to writer, the possibilities are endless!
Why Style Guides Are Important
I know this all seems like a lot of work, but trust me, style guides are important things! Having a guide ensures accuracy, consistency, and professionalism. When followed, they make the writer or company happy, but they also benefit the readers, making sure they have a smooth reading experience.
One thing I love about style guides is that they help take away some of the brainwork needed in editing. There are so many rules of English to remember already; when a client adds their own rules to the mix, it’s enough to make my brain explode! But having a style guide written out helps my memory.
PRO TIP: If you use the Find shortcut (Ctrl+F on Windows or Command+F on Mac), you can quickly search for what you need in your style guide. For example, if I forget if a client uses the Oxford comma, I search “comma”, and if the client has a preference, it’ll pop right up!
Conclusion
I hope this has helped explain what a style guide is and why they’re so essential to writers and editors. Maybe you’ve decided you want to write out your own for your writing. But you may be thinking, “Where do I start?!” Don’t worry; in a future article, we’ll go over just that. So, stick around!
If you’ve decided to hire a professional copy editor or proofreader, I’d be more than happy to work with you. If you’d like to know more, visit my service page here.
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