What is Editorial Style Guide?
Key Takeaways
- It settles recurring questions once, so writers do not have to decide them again each time.
- It covers mechanics, such as spelling and capitalization, as well as voice and the words to use or avoid.
- It is most useful when it contains examples of right and wrong, not only abstract rules.
- It needs an owner and a review date, because language and brands change.
Understanding Editorial Style Guide
Without a style guide, every writer answers the same questions differently: which spelling to use, whether to capitalize a product name, how to format a date. The result is a site or publication that looks like it was written by many different organizations.
A guide typically has two layers. The first is mechanical: spelling, numbers, punctuation, headings and links. The second is voice: how formal the tone is, what the writing should never sound like and which words the business uses for its own products.
Examples make a guide usable. A rule that says write plainly means little, but a pair of sentences showing the plain and the inflated version of the same idea lets a new writer understand the standard immediately.
A guide only works if it is kept short enough to use and updated when decisions change. Many teams start with a single page of the most common rules and add to it when the same question comes up a third time.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What goes in an editorial style guide?
Spelling conventions, punctuation rules, formatting for headings and lists, preferred and banned terms, tone of voice guidance and examples. Many also include rules for citing sources.
Is a style guide the same as brand guidelines?
Not exactly. Brand guidelines usually cover the whole identity, including logos and colors. A style guide focuses on written language, though the two often overlap on voice.
How long should it be?
As short as it can be while settling the questions that come up. A single page is a good start, and it can grow as real disagreements appear.