Photographer: Dylag Jacek
By: Shanna Hovley
As a writer, you might not be familiar with style sheets, but for your editor, they can be incredibly helpful. In order to become familiar with style sheets, let’s review something similar. A stylebook.
Stylebooks
Writing in a professional setting usually follows one of the main stylebooks, such asChicago or AP manuals of style. These stylebooks can answer most of an author’s questions about font, capitalization case, commas, and more. They even specify which professions should be capitalized and how to abbreviate things like street names. With how inclusive they are, you might wonder why you might need to create a style sheet.
What is a Style Sheet?
Similar to a stylebook, a style sheet is used to inform your editor of specific style, grammar, and name cases that you are using in your manuscript. Think of it like a rulebook you create for your manuscript. Whether fiction or nonfiction, a style sheet can be invaluable for keeping consistent throughout a piece of writing. It can also be useful to keep your style true throughout multiple pieces of work, such as a series of novels or blog posts.
What is Included in a Style Sheet?
Spelling - There are words in the English language that can be spelled different ways, depending on the region. The most common regions are British and American English, but they are not the only regions to keep in mind. Australia and Canada are also countries with some unique spellings.
Character Names - In fiction writing, there are often characters with unusually spelled names. In order to keep these consistent throughout the piece, a style sheet can show the correct spelling or usage, and sometimes pronunciation.
Words to Use/Avoid - There are situations where a company or school has created a style sheet for words they want to avoid in order to be kinder or more appropriate. There are also style sheets detailing ways to avoid too many of the same kind of word or phrase.
When Should I Make a Style Sheet?
You can start creating your personal style sheet at any point during the writing process. I personally like using one early on to record character name spellings or locations. If you decide to use a style sheet, make sure you have it completed before giving your manuscript or writing piece to your editor. They will appreciate having the right tools to ensure your writing is edited to your needs.
As an Editor, Can I Create a Style Sheet for a Client?
Editors can also provide a writer with a style sheet. This can happen if the client (writer) doesn’t create their own style sheet and the editor wants to show consistency in their decision making. In this case, it acts as more of a summary of edits.
“Editing your book can be like wrestling the devil at times but in the end, good triumphs over evil.” - T.W. Lawless
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