Style Guides¶
A style guide is a collection of conventions for writing for an industry, brand or project that ensures consistency and clarity by providing a standard to keep your book, publication or marketing materials from being a mess of inconsistencies driven by personal preferences.
Most writers will encounter four commonly used guides:
AP style for journalism
Chicago style for publishing
APA style for scholarly writing
MLA style for scholarly citation (more on each of these below).
Associated Press Stylebook¶
A set of standards for writing in news media
One of the most comprehensive style guides
Includes recommendations for grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage
Topical guides to define standards for news topics (like COVID-19)
Cultural trends (like gender-neutral terms)
Editors update AP Stylebook Online throughout the year to address questions and major news events
AP Stylebook Online ($29.00/yr subscription)
Chicago Manual of Style¶
Colloquially called the Chicago style guide or CMOS
A set of standards for writing in commercial and academic publishing
Recommendations for grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage
Manuscript formatting and two variations of source citation
The preferred style of print publishers in both fiction and nonfiction, and many academic journals in the humanities
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APA Publication Manual¶
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
A set of standards to make scientific writing easier to comprehend
Recommendations for grammar, spelling, punctuation and usage
Signature in-text citation style
Ethical standards for publishing research
How to format an academic paper
Scholarly writers and journals in many social sciences, humanities, health care and some natural sciences follow APA style
A new edition has come out about every 10 years
MLA Handbook¶
Is primarily a set of guidelines for citation and formatting in academic papers
Best known for its source citation template
Includes limited guidance on writing mechanics and no recommendations for usage
Scholarly writers and journals in segments of the humanities focused on language and writing, like language studies and literary criticism, follow MLA style
It updates and publishes a new print edition about every three to five years
Alternative Style Guides¶
The field or niche you work in might need to address unique publishing quirks the heavy-hitting style guides don’t cover.