Why you need this model style sheet:
There are many authoritative editorial resources available, but there are still times when individual preferences prevail. For example, perhaps your chosen stylebook endorses the use of the series comma (also known as the serial or Oxford comma), but your managing partner abhors it, so the firm makes the decision to not use it. If you have more than one person in the firm writing documents, though, it can be difficult to spread the word about this decision and ensure consistency throughout the firm’s materials. So you need to create a style sheet for the firm.
How this model style sheet helps you:
This one customized document will contain all of the firm’s unique editorial choices. It will also list the firm’s preferred editorial resources, as well as any commonly used, but frequently misspelled, names. The style sheet is also the place to collect spelling choices. For example, even though your chosen dictionary spells “mosquitoes” with an “e,” the senior partner spells it without an “e.” Both spellings are correct, but for consistency, you need to choose one and place it on your style sheet as the final decision.
How to use this model style sheet:
Use this sheet to track every style decision the firm makes, including:
- Numbers and dates. How do you want figures treated? Is there a comma in 5000 or not? Is it $.95 or 95¢?
- Abbreviations. Which abbreviations are acceptable? Must they use periods?
- Punctuation. List decisions made about punctuation, such as the use of the series comma or straight quotes versus curly quotes, for example.
- Tables. What do the headings look like? How about the spacing and font type?
- Bibliographic style. Include an example of a bibliographic entry and note sequence and abbreviation decisions.
- Footnote style. Include font type, sequence and reference decisions, use of abbreviations.
- Typographic style. What is the firm’s chosen font type and size? Are there any variations? Are some words always to be boldfaced? Or never to be boldfaced?
- Miscellaneous. What other decisions have been made that override the dictionary or style book?