Written by John Linnegar with assistance by Paul Schamberger and Jill Bishop.
This 24-page guide (the first in a series of guides to be published with the aim of informing members and thereby contributing towards raising their professional standing) sets out to answer the questions Why a style guide?, What is house style? and Why the need for a style guide and a style sheet? The answer lies in the title of the booklet: consistency. Consistency should, first and foremost, be the hallmark of professional copy-editing and proofreading; it's the veneer an editor applies to a manuscript to make the printed book at least appear perfectly written and edited. When consistency is wanting, not only does the book appear shoddy but the veracity and reliability of its contents can be undermined. For the uninitiated, examples are given of style sheets, and checklists of the core elements of a good style guide are provided. And the role and contribution of a well-composed style sheet in the production life of a book are explained.
Published by the Professional Editors' Group, November 2009 ISBN 978-0-620-45600-5 Cover price: R40,00
