Choosing a style guide, Part 1
In a previous post, I explained what a style guide is and why one is useful for writing and editing for the web. Whether you’re publishing news or maintaining a corporate website, following a style guide offers many benefits, not least of which is that it helps you to present information to your audience consistently—and consistency is one indicator of credibility.
So, assuming that you agree that following a style guide is a good idea, the next logical question is, How do you choose one? The answer to that question will be determined by your and your audience’s expectations. Here’s a rundown of things to consider when choosing a style guide:
Know your audience
What does it want?
Is your audience made up primarily of new technology enthusiasts? Government and academic types? Style guides vary in the scope of their coverage, so knowing what kind of information your audience is looking for and what level of formality it prefers will play a big part in your decision. For example, if you’re targeting a specialized industry, then having a style guide that includes your industry's jargon, or at least recommends how to use jargon in general, would be helpful.
Where is your audience?
Style guides vary in the scope of their coverage, so knowing what kind of information your audience is looking for will play a big part in your decision.
Basic spelling is the most obvious reason why the location of your audience is relevant to your choice of style guide. American guides will, for example, recommend “color,” “analyze,” and “fulfill,” while British ones will favour “colour,” “analyse,” and “fulfil.” So, if you’re an American news agency writing for a mainly American audience, then perhaps a British style guide is out of the question.
Know yourself
What is your style right now?
It wouldn’t make much sense to choose a guide that recommends a style that is 180° away from your current one. Reflect on what your style is at the moment—formal or friendly? heavy with citations or bare-bones?—or, if you’re just starting out, what kind of style you would like to adopt, and then base your choice partly on that.
What is your budget?
How much are you prepared to spend on a style guide and new editions that come out in the years to come? For large organizations, this won’t be a major concern. For smaller organizations, relying on a style guide that is inexpensive or freely available on the web may be the most viable option.
How do you like to search?
Style guides published by news organizations—such as the Associated Press, the Globe and Mail, and the Times—are usually arranged alphabetically, whereas more academic-oriented guides—Chicago Manual of Style, Oxford Style Manual—tend to be arranged by category. You’re going to be spending time with your style guide, so you should find it easy to use.
Based on your answers to these questions, you would choose the style guide that fits your criteria. The trick, though, is to pick one guide and stick to it, rather than switching between several and confusing your audience.
In the next post, I’ll go through the most popular style guides in more detail.