In some cases inconsistency may lead to ambiguity: if the author capitalizes a word inconsistently the reader may think some distinction is intended.Ī style sheet can’t cover correctness in grammar and punctuation it can’t force good expression. If a book is inconsistent in matters of detail, the reader or reviewer may begin to doubt the author’s accuracy and thoroughness over matters of fact. Judith Butcher, in The Cambridge handbook of copy-editing for editors, authors and publishers (1992) says: Both can be more damaging than mere distraction. Two big distractions for readers are inconsistency and incorrect use. The purpose of writing is communication the purpose of editing is to improve communication by removing distractions. Janet Mackenzie writes in her 2004 book, The editor’s companion: Construct a comprehensive style sheet, in consultation with your client, keep it up to date and use it effectively, and your clients will love you for it. Good points but let’s cut to the chase: the best reason to use style sheets is that it makes the job of editing so much easier and closer to foolproof. Therefore, to ensure consistency in the style used in the particular manuscript, and to aid the editorial memory, it is helpful if not imperative to keep for each manuscript a running account of special words to be capitalized, odd spellings, compound words with or without hyphens, and the like. No style book will provide rules covering all matters of style encountered by the editor, and no editor worth the title will apply identical rules to every book manuscript. The Chicago manual of style (1993) identifies why editors use style sheets: Yes, even in the day and age of Find and Replace, the editing style sheet is an editor’s best friend. The most powerful tool an editor has at their disposal is the one they make themselves – the editing style sheet.
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