When you think of a style guide, what comes to mind? A fashion magazine? A thick tome like The Chicago Manual of Style? Or do you envision a neatly organized in-house document that explains what your company’s grammar conventions are and which words are good for branding?

All three are correct, but for the purposes of this discussion, we’re looking at in-house style guides that are used when you or a freelancer are writing things like case studies, white papers, manuals, ads, and other marketing collateral.  Using an in-house style guide provides clear guidelines on which words to use, which words to avoid, and how to format your documents.

I’ve worked extensively with in-house style guides.  For an apparel company, I helped create the grammar and branding portion of the style guide, using words that described the company, detailing words to avoid, and laying down guidelines for using the Oxford comma (you can guess how that ruling went.)  When I copyedit for Copyediting, I check to make sure the copy is consistent with the in-house style guide, as well as Chicago style.  And way back when I was a technology journalist and copy editor, I used to update the style guide for IDG News Service.

In each case, the style guide is invaluable in terms of keeping copy on track.  Most style guides, especially for branding, will also include sections on graphic design and the use of graphics.  The one I did for the apparel company also included information on using the trademark symbol, use of the tagline, and which style guide to defer to when writing different collateral.  I also covered how to use the company name in marketing materials and the preferred spelling of words like email and website.

Whether the style guide is used in-house only or distributed to freelancers, it creates a unified front for communications coming from the company.  For example, if you’re hiring a white paper writer, giving her a copy of the style guide lets her see how you want your company presented and gives her an idea of the grammar and spellings you prefer, like Web site vs. website.  It also points her to the correct style guide to use for questions not covered in your in-house guide.

If you’re planning to produce a lot of content, contact me to learn how I can help your company put together a comprehensive style guide that will pay for itself in terms of consistency, clarity, and time saved.

When the Oxford comma got dropped by a University of Oxford style guide, I realized that the era of sensible grammar rules is coming to an end.  It’s the Armageddon of vintage grammar sensibilities, I thought, then read the update.  Phew, it’s only for the PR department, but still.  It’s the University of Oxford.  Doing away with the Oxford comma.

For those who are not familiar with the Oxford comma, it’s the serial comma.  It comes after the penultimate item in a series and before the “and”:

            The cat ate tuna, chicken, and cheese.

The comma after “chicken” is the Oxford, or serial, comma.  Several heavy-hitting style and grammar books agree:

• The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), 16th Edition, strongly recommends using a serial comma to avoid ambiguity. 
• Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style (4th Edition) clearly states that a serial comma should be used.
• Amy Einsohn’s The Copyeditor’s Handbook (2nd Edition) cites several other stylebooks that require the serial comma: WIT, APA, and CBE.
• Grammar Girl
  

The only stylebook I’ve come across that doesn’t use the serial comma at all times is the Associated Press Stylebook, but even then, it recommends using the serial comma when necessary to avoid ambiguity in longer list items:

            My son ate his lunch of chicken nuggets and grapes, drank his milk, washed his hands very thoroughly, and             then went upstairs for his nap.

I don’t understand the reasoning behind omitting that last comma, even in short lists.  Newspapers did it to save space.  Some argue that it’s confusing or unnecessary to use the last comma.  I strongly disagree.  The serial comma adds consistency, clarity, and just feels right to me, which is why so much of what I write has that extra comma.  It’s all throughout this website and in anything I write that doesn’t require AP Style.  CMOS is pretty much my own personal style guide, despite my journalism background.

I’ll always argue in favor of clarity, but I’m only one person, and I can’t take on the Associated Press.  So if I’m not writing a press release or article for you, expect the Oxford comma.

In journalism school, my professors trained me to trim the excess from my sentences.  Adverbs would get cut first, much to my chagrin.  I could barely describe something without an adverb when I took my journalism classes. 

“That’s not how it happened,” Jane said quickly.

She frequently lectures on a variety of topics.

My J-school sentences were much less exciting without adverbs to modify the verbs.

“I really had no say in the matter,” Mike said.

He speaks at area colleges.

Many adverbs are subjective, and therefore, they have no place in a news story.  Copywriting is a different ballgame.  In my promotional copy, I haul them out of their dusty bin and pepper my work with adverbs, which emphasize how my clients’ products or services benefit potential customers.

This attorney returns calls swiftly.

Adverbs, in addition to modifying verbs, can also help combine related sentences to eliminate unnecessary words.  (My J-school professors might even be proud.)  Consider this:

This attorney works with the court.

She stays abreast of the latest legal trends.

She knows how to get results.

Rewritten with adverbs, the sentence reads:

By attentively staying abreast of the latest legal trends, Attorney Smith works closely with the court to get results in your matter.

Using adverbs (quickly, frequently, swiftly, attentively, closely) creates exciting, engaging copy, which leads to more clients, more money, and a better bottom line for your business.