Why do editors follow style guides?

Unless you work in publishing or marketing, you’ve probably never used (or heard of) a style guide. You just write up your report or email and send it off – and that’s fine. Short documents usually have minimal style requirements, particularly if they're simple and only have one reader.

But if you’re writing for a wider audience or you want to get published, it helps to follow a style guide. In fact, if you’re an author or content writer, editors will usually ask about your preferred style guide, and if you don’t have one, they’ll make a recommendation or create a custom guide for you.

So why are editors obsessed with style guides? And what happens when you don’t have one? In this article, I’ll explain what style guides are, why they're used and when it’s okay to deviate from them.

What is a style guide?

A style guide, also known as a style manual, contains rules or best practices for writing, formatting and editing documents. It often covers language elements such as grammar, punctuation, capitalisation, spelling, referencing, accessibility and other style preferences. In short, style guides are used to make decisions about how ideas are communicated and presented to readers.

But style guides shouldn't be confused with general grammar rules you find in the Oxford English Grammar or similar books. After all, grammar rules can vary from one grammar book to another (yes, really!), and from one region to another (there are different spelling and usage rules in the UK and the US).

A style guide, on the other hand, draws from established rules and spellings in your local region and adapts them to a specific market or context, such as journalism, medical writing, marketing, government communications or book publishing.

In Australia, the official style guide is the Australian Government Style Manual. This is often used by book publishers, businesses and government departments. In the US, it’s The Chicago Manual of Style. There are also academic style manuals for different disciplines, like the American Psychological Association (APA) style and the Modern Language Association (MLA) style. Again, the style guide you use depends on the writing and your intended audience.

Note: Keep in mind that style guides get updated regularly to reflect changing language usage, conventions and spellings. If you’re following a specific guide, make sure you’re using the latest one.

Detail from the Compounds and Hyphenation chapter in The Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

3 reasons why editors follow style guides

A style guide isn’t just an arbitrary list of rules (although it can seem that way at times). It’s created for three main reasons:

• Maintains consistency. When specific editorial standards are applied, content is more professional and easier to consume, resulting in less confusion for the reader. In the case of businesses, it can also establish a brand identity that is recognisable and trustworthy.

  
  

• Saves time. Style guides mean fewer checks to see if the author is happy with certain spellings or stylistic choices, which saves editorial time and needless back-and-forth emails.

  
  

• Achieves efficiency in large teams. Style guides provide a clear, shared set of rules that everyone can follow, especially when multiple writers or editors are involved. It also helps avoid unnecessary (and expensive) changes or conflicts further down the track.

Do editors ever deviate from style guides?

While style guides are considered the standard in most publishing scenarios, there are times when editors may – and should – deviate from them:

• When rigid adherence affects communication. In some cases, sticking to a style guide might impede clarity, readability or the emotional tone of the content. For example, if a book is written in a conversational style, it may be appropriate to use sentence fragments, comma splices or abbreviations to capture a specific tone or milieu.

  
  

• When deviations are necessary for impact. Sometimes, it may be necessary to break certain rules for greater impact, either to match the audience's expectations or boost engagement. For example, a novelist may use unusual syntax to capture a certain dialect or speech pattern (see Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo), or a marketer may use one-word sentences to stop a reader in their tracks (e.g. ‘Stop. Right. Now’).

  
  

• When a publisher’s style guide overrides it. Many publishers and businesses have their own style guides that sometimes contradict a local style guide. For example, one of my publishing clients prefers to omit commas before ‘etc’, and a marketing client prefers double speech quotes (even though the local convention is to use single speech quotes).

  
  

• When an author has a specific preference. Some authors have stylistic preferences that consciously defy common rules, such as using the serial comma (in Australia, they’re not used in simple lists) or omitting commas after introductory clauses.

As long as these deviations are intentional, justified and consistent – and don’t affect the reading experience – editors leave them as is and add them to their style sheet.

Is a style guide similar to a style sheet?

There's a significant difference between a style guide and a style sheet. A style guide is a document that covers a range of language rules or recommendations, while a style sheet outlines the style guide and dictionary used, as well as deviations, spelling preferences, names and terminology specific to the book or content. If the manuscript is a work of fiction, the style sheet may even include character names, locations and chronologies. For more on this topic, see Why you need a style sheet.  

What happens if you don't use a style guide?

Not following a style guide can create a few issues. For example, names and words may be spelled differently, which can confuse readers; content may look messy and unprofessional; you may waste resources on multiple corrections; and your staff won't have guideposts to write, edit or ensure the quality of their output. In short, it creates an inconsistent or erratic reading experience that can alienate readers and hurt your brand.

Final thoughts: Why editors follow style guides

Style guides are a great way to ensure the clarity, consistency and credibility of your book or business content. What’s more, it minimises distractions and makes the reading experience smoother. But despite their value, style guides don’t have to be followed to a tee. In fact, exceptions can be made based on company or author preferences, as long as they don't affect readability. Ultimately, it’s about balancing the author’s goals with the needs of their target audience!

Need an editor who can apply a style guide to your manuscript? If so, get in touch through my contact form or request a sample edit.