This post by Kate Siegel Bandos originally appeared on San Francisco Book Review on 2/5/15.
Fashion and other popular magazines, TV shows, and numerous websites tell us how we should be dressing, doing our hair, and decorating our homes so that we are always IN STYLE. What about publishers? Are you paying attention to being up-to-date with writing styles?
If you are working with a seasoned editor, hopefully they know the latest style rules for writing. Of course, there is more than one “style” book that details the dos and don’ts of writing. However, you will always be safe—especially when writing materials for journalists, if you follow the AP (Associated Press) style guidelines.
How writers and journalists feel about commas is almost as divisive as the views of Democrats and Republicans. The Oxford comma (also known as the “serial comma” or “Harvard comma”) is the name given to the optional final comma in a series. In the phrase “ham, egg, and chips,” it’s the comma between “egg” and “and.” While the AP Stylebook advises against it, others insist on it because it makes the meaning clearer. Like everything that is optional, it has its adherents and its detractors. But make a decision and be consistent.
For the 2014 edition of AP Stylebook, there were five key changes that you should be aware of for both your book(s) and all media materials:
Read the full post on San Francisco Book Review.