Use a style sheet to make your book consistent
Style is an individual thing - it can help or hinder the reader. The 'rules'
can vary with the genre and readership. Whatever
style you choose, be
consistent. If you need help, we provide a
copy-editing service.
Here are a few points to consider if you decide to have a style sheet.
Keep capital letters to a minimum. They have been shown to slow down
the reader. A capital letter is used for:
 | The primary position in a sentence. |
| Proper nouns such as names, as well as adjectives or adverbs
derived from proper nouns. |
| Titles of books, films etc. |
Capitals should never be employed to emphasise certain points in
books (although it works on web pages and newsprint).
Quotation marks come in several styles - single, double, straight and
curly. Single curly ones are often preferred, although traditionally double
curly ones have been used they are now out of fashion. You can reserve double quotes for the
quotes within quotes.
Don't over-use quotes.
| It is fine to put quotes round a new word or term where you
introduce and explain it. Thereafter, the word should appear without
them. |
| It is correct to use italics instead of quotes for foreign names,
words or phrases. Italics are also generally used for book titles. |
Apostrophes can also be straight or curly but must be consistent.
Are you going to use hyphens or en-rules? Newspapers use hyphens as they
have to break up words to fit into the narrow columns but they are not
popular in books. En-rules are dashes which can be used sparingly to
compound words.
The font is normally a concern of the designer but there are some
'rules'.
| The titles of books, papers, magazines, films and plays are
in italic. |
| Bold can be used for headings but not within the body of
the text. |
| Larger fonts can also look bold but avoid mixing font
styles, as opposed to sizes. |
| Using bold or italic for emphasis is fine for comics but is it
suitable for your novel? |
| The point size for most novels is between 10 and 11. |
The rules about numbers are as complex as they are variable. Consistency
is the key to keeping the reader happy. Here are some guidelines:
| Spell out all numbers under 21 and any number that starts a
sentence. |
| Use numerals for all dates and most large numbers, but it is
acceptable to spell out one hundred. |
| Decide if you want to add 'th', 'st' superscripts to your text but it is
out of fashion. |
| Be careful with percentages. You cannot just add and subtract them.
 | So a doubling is an increase of 100 per cent. |
| If something triples in value, it goes up by 200 per cent (not 300). Every
time the amount double, it goes up by 100%. |
| If your antique quadruples in value, it has increased by 300 per cent (not
400). Therefore 'three times greater than' means the same as 'four times as
great as'. Be careful. |
|
A source of inconsistencies in punctuation marks is introduced when material
is cut and pasted between documents or the work is moved between computers.
Spend some time doing search and replace to make punctuation and spelling
consistent.
Do not try to add impact to your work by employing superlatives that you
cannot justify. Quote the source wherever possible so you can refer all the
letters of complaint elsewhere.
Fewer means not as many, less means not as much. There are fewer cars on
the road, which means there is less traffic.
The difference between that and which is not something to worry
about and the latter is not grander than the former. On many occasions you can
omit this pronoun altogether but a useful guide is that defines while
which informs.
A light year is a unit of distance travelled by light in one year and not a
measure of time.
Scotch is whisky while scotch broth is soup. Everything else to do with
Scotland is Scottish. (Don't forget the Irish drink whiskey not whisky.)
Take advantage of your word processor.
| Word processors are very good at picking up grammatical inconsistencies.
However annoying you find many of the suggestions provided, they are still worth checking to locate problems such as a single
verb with a plural subject. |
| You can tell your word processor the rules you want it to apply and set a
range of styles so investigated the advanced settings. |
| Make sure you have a consistent rule for the use of hyphens. |
| Add any special names to the dictionary. This will ensure consistency.
|
| If you use the 'replace' facility, the word processor will find the word or
symbol and replace it with the punctuation or spelling style you are planning to
use. |
| More tips where your word processor might
help. |
Clichés detract from your work.
Check this list for
tautologies.
Try reading the work aloud to see that it flows and help pick up problems you
have missed.
All of these checks will help to make your manuscript as consistent and
professionally presented as possible, and will prevent mistakes creeping into
the finished text.
Does your book deserve the attentions of a
copy editor?
Writers Services offers a full
range of editorial services.
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