- I shared in a recent video
that we were criticized
for not following The Chicago Manual of Style to a T
by another publishing services company.
After that video, I had some people asking me hey,
what is Chicago Manual of Style,
and what are the rules editors should be following?
Well, if you're wondering about the styles
and rules of editing, this video is for you.
(upbeat music)
Hey there, I'm Julie the Book Broad.
I'm the founder
of self-publishing services company Book Launchers.
We have a wonderful team of folks
that help you write a book, edit it,
design, publish, distribute,
and of course, market that book.
A big part of our service is editing.
We have three different kinds of editors
that will work on each book:
a content editor, a copy editor, and a proofreader.
Of the most part, we follow The Chicago Manual of Style,
also called CMoS.
But we have a few things that we consider house style.
If you're hiring editors, and styling your own book,
you might be wondering what are the differences
between the styles and where can you learn about them?
First, I've got a full confession for you.
Do not ask me about the rules of each.
I'm a big believer in staying in my own lane
and being great at where I have gifts
and leaving the other things to people
who have gifts in those areas.
Editing is not one of those areas.
I'm not great with details
and I'm not particularly good at following rules.
(Julie chuckling)
So what I can tell you
is that there are more than one style.
There's CMoS, APA, MLA, oh,
and there's also AP.
Each style has its own book
with its own set of rules
for everything from punctuation to sourcing citations.
Now, if you wanna get into it,
you really have to just sit down
with the rule book and go through it.
There are also courses, like the one at the EFA,
the Editors and Freelancers Association.
It will give you a certificate at the end as well,
which can be useful if you're seeking work.
Now, technically you have choice
as to what style you follow
but if you have a publisher,
they will usually tell you what style.
For us, Chicago Style.
Chicago Style is based on the Chicago Manual of Style
and it's the standard choice for many book publishers,
especially in the non-fiction genre.
CMoS covers everything from style
and usage to sourcing citations
and mechanics of editing and proofreading.
Now, that's CMoS.
MLA style is based in part on the MLA Handbook.
Surprise.
MLA stands for Modern Language Association.
The latest edition of the handbook focuses exclusively
on how to cite sources.
If you're like me, you probably only know MLA
and APA exists from university
when you had to do citations for your papers.
And you probably had to find out
if the professor wanted it in MLA or APA format.
APA style is based on the publication Manual
of the American Psychological Association.
The APA manual focuses on writing style,
and source citations.
It has an emphasis on data
and how to present it and source quantitative
and qualitative results in tables and figures.
Again, it's more for papers than for books
but it does have a writing style,
which means some books may be edited in ALA style.
AP style is based on the Associated Press style book.
Just like the name sounds, it's more about journalists
and people in the press who report on the news.
It consists of a series of glossaries
that cover preferred spellings and abbreviations.
Because it's for news reporting,
the guide is also updated annually.
Beyond all that, it's a matter of style.
So what are some of the differences?
In my view, the two biggest differences come
in the treatment of commas,
and also capitalization of titles.
There's also other things like possessive
and source citation styles.
It's why people who are good editors
are not the same as people who are professional editors.
The combination of all the rules
is actually what makes up the style.
And if you have someone that has an eagle eye
but doesn't know the rules,
your book won't have that professional polish.
At Book Launchers, when we're hiring editors,
we have editorial tests,
we look for their certifications,
and we like to work with editors
who are part of editorial associations or groups.
Then I have a handful of people on my team
who know the rules inside and out
so they can spot any issues.
Before you hire an editor,
you can ask what style they will use
and then you can grab the book
to check the rules against their work
if you're worried about whether they were good
at this or not.
Like this video.
Make sure you smash the thumbs up button
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We have new videos every Tuesday and Friday,
except in July when we take a little break.
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Thank you so much for your comments, likes and shares.
Now that you're up to speed on editorial styles,
you might be wondering
about the different kinds of editors I mentioned.
Well, if you are,
that video, right there, is what you need.
Now, if you're good with that,
YouTube believes that this is the one you need to see.
Both are fantastic, I promise,
so click on over and I'll see you there.