Tag: #ChicagoManualofStyle

Getting the Style Sheet Right

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A style sheet is an invaluable tool that ensures consistency. Per The Chicago Manual of Style (2.52), “for each manuscript the editor must keep an alphabetical list of words or terms to be capitalized, italicized, hyphenated, spelled, or otherwise treated in any way unique to the manuscript.” The style sheet makes sure each volume in a series or title released by a publisher maintains the integrity of previous releases. Consider:

  • The author of a series will want to ensure her hero’s physical characteristics and background are consistent from book to book. For example, a hero identified as a six-foot detective with a degree in criminal justice from Michigan State University in book one would raise an eyebrow if he alludes to his eternal love for his college mascot, the Buckeyes, and his frustration at never being able to find pants for his five-foot frame in book three.
  • A Christian theology book should decide whether it wants to use God or god. Readers may question whether God refers to a single, supreme being and whether god connotes some less significant meaning.
  • Education publishers will want to be consistent in how they treat frequently used terms, like response to intervention, students with disabilities, and professional learning community but Professional Learning Community at Work.

When creating a style sheet, I make sure to:

  • Alphabetize my entries
  • Apply capitalization, italics, or other special treatments that have been decided
  • Make sure any style decisions are consistent with what’s been decided in the author’s or publisher’s previous books on the topic (In fact, I’ll copy the entries from the style sheet of the author’s last book onto the one I’m creating for the newer title.)
  • Copy any acronyms, mnemonic devices, definitions, questions, or other special elements the author lists. For example, “A KWL chart determines what a student knows, would like to know, and learns from a lesson.”

I always err on the side of giving too much information. My goal is a polished, professional book that’s consistent with its publisher and author’s previous works and that the next editor will find easy to follow.

There you have it!

Highlighting 3 Elements to Check During Proofreading

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Proofreading is one of the final hands-on stages of the publishing process. At proofreading, the manuscript will receive a final read through. According to the University of Chicago Press’s (2010) The Chicago Manual of Style (Sixteenth edition), “Proofreading is the process of reading a text and scrutinizing all its components to find errors and mark them for correction.” All components encompasses more than reading the text. Proofreaders should also the following.

  • Verify the table of contents’ accuracy: One of the first things readers will see (and use) is a book’s table of contents (TOC). If it’s incorrect (for instance, it says chapter 2 begins on page 13 but it actually begins on 31), the author’s and publisher’s credibility will be damaged. Readers may ask, “If these people can’t even get a page number correct, what else have they got wrong?”
  • Double check the spelling of proper nouns: Ideally, this should have been done by the author and editor. Yet, oversights do occur; but they don’t have to occur on the proofreader’s watch. Again, obvious mistakes (like misspelling an author or organization name) damage the author’s and publisher’s credibility.
  • Check the accuracy of section headings and running heads: “Running heads—the headings at the tops of pages—function, like page numbers, as signposts” (University of Chicago Press, 2010). Pages shift or figures, tables, or lists are moved during formatting. When this happens, the running head or section headings may no longer reflect the page’s content.

Happy proofreading!
Reference
The University of Chicago Press. (2010). The Chicago manual of style (16th ed.). Chicago: Author.