What Is a Style Guide?… and why might I need one?
A style guide is a book that outlines the rules necessary to follow for any one kind of writing. These rules may be about simple things like grammar and punctuation, or more substantive questions about citation, layout, or format. Some guides may also speak to style elements such as tone and voice. Which Should I Use? Different style guides are used in different fields and genres. Once you begin to produce in one genre, you ll get accustomed to the requisite style guide, and be able to use it for later assignments. However, it is best to ascertain which guide your client or professor prefers you to use, because there is often a house style to be aware of, too. What s House Style? Often a company or a magazine will not agree with certain points of their chosen style, and will establish exceptions. These exceptions may be published as an internal crib sheet, and made available to freelancers after they are assigned work. Or Not. Magazines sometimes make the question of style moot, as a c
