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I'll admit I was a bit worried that the early winter months of 2005 would be slow, but February turned out to be an excellent month for business! I picked up several new clients, one of which I'll be helping develop a quarterly newsletter. Since it's the company's first publication of this sort, I've got a big job ahead of me: determining how much/what sort of content to include in each issue, identifying resources, and deciding how to treat the text (headings, captions, etc.). That last point reminds me---I believe it's time to create a style guide. In fact, this is what inspired this month's feature article. If you don't know what a style guide is or what one is used for, I hope this article will help clear things up. If there's one particular piece of information I remember from the technical writing classes I took as a grad student, it's "consistency is the key." I've found that this is true not only in tech writing, but in just about every other writing situation, as well. Using a style guide is perhaps the ultimate key to maintaining a strong and consistent voice when it comes to written communications. Enjoy this issue! All the best, Cassie Hart What's Your Style? It's quiz time! Take a few seconds to answer the following questions. When faced with an on-the-job writing task, have you ever: - Had trouble remembering whether to capitalize department names and/or employee titles? - Been unsure about whether to place periods after acronyms? - Wondered which would be the better choice: bulleted or numbered lists? If these types of questions plague your thought process when you sit down to write a draft, perhaps it's time to consider creating a style guide for future use. What exactly is a style guide? A style guide contains guidelines for the treatment of text in written communications. Many businesses use style guides to ensure that all corporate communications--both internal and external--are consistent. When are style guides used? Style guides are used as reference tools during writing and editing processes. When drafting content, writers may refer to a style guide to determine hyphenation preferences, font treatment, etc. When reviewing drafts, editors also use this type of resource to make sure the text adheres to predetermined guidelines. How do I create one? Style guides can be as complex as a detailed, multi- paged booklet or as simple as a one-page Word document. Use the following steps to organize content for your company's new style guide. 1. Make a list of the items you want the style guide to address. Once this list is compiled, organize the main points alphabetically. This will help users find information quickly. For example, you might consider including the following items:
2. Next you'll need to provide rules for each main point. Make sure your descriptions are clear, and remember that many people may end up using the guide. Capitalization Fonts Sub-headings Body text 3. Once you've listed each guideline, consider adding an example or two for each one. This will provide users with written and visual descriptions to help ensure their understanding.
E.g., The Marketing Department holds meetings every Thursday at 2:00 pm. E.g., John Stevens is in charge of that account; he's the Project Coordinator. Having a style guide on hand---and referring to it when necessary---will help keep corporate documents looking professional. Remember our motto: consistency is the key!
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email: cahart@att.net voice: 309.454.1908 web: http://www.cassiehartwriter.com |
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