ABOUT CREATING A STYLE GUIDE
What’s a style guide?
A style guide is a document that spells out rules for your writing.
It establishes guidelines for spelling, grammar, formatting, and style. And sometimes even broader topics, like voice and inclusive writing practices.
Arguably, the two most popular style guides are The Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS) and the Associated Press Stylebook (AP), both of which I’ve used extensively over my 10-year career.
Most creative writers use CMoS. Most journalists use AP. Given a choice between the two, business writers might use either, depending on their voice and audience.
Those two phenomenal style guides work well for lots of businesses. But a company or a team might want a style guide that’s tailor-made for them, so they can establish consistency throughout their content. (In fact, many organizations have their own style guides. Just look at the style guides that Microsoft, Slack, Intuit, and Wikipedia use.)
A creative writer might benefit from a style guide for one of their projects, too—especially if they’re world-building and need a document that keeps all their invented details organized.
To schedule a time to talk to me about style guides, please email me at stephspectoredits@gmail.com or fill out the form below.