National Association of Independent Writers & Editors
Facebook Instagram Linkedin twitter

Search

SubscribeLogin

  • About
    • About NAIWE
    • Board of Experts
    • Amazon-Affiliate Book
    • FAQs
    • Advertising
  • Join Us
    • Join NAIWE
    • Benefits
    • Reasons to Join an Association
  • Training
  • Find a Professional
  • Blog
  • News & Events
    • The Edge
    • Conference
    • Podcasts
    • Summer Challenge
    • Words Matter
      • Words Matter Week
      • How to Participate
      • Media
  • Post a Job
  • Contact
  • Member Sites

Mark Allen, NAIWE’s AP Stylebook Expert

July 12, 2019 Post a comment

We wanted to get to know Mark Allen (NAIWE’s AP Stylebook Expert) better, so last month we sat down with him. Here are some things he shared.

What is one thing that you learned about style manuals the hard way, and what benefits have you received from it?

Style manuals keep changing because language keeps changing. There was a time when I felt that I knew all the quirks of the Associated Press Stylebook, and then I found my convictions were no longer valid because they changed the book! There are plenty of shibboleths in the AP Stylebook—things that only AP adherents really care about but that cause consternation when AP makes a change. “More than” and “over” are now mostly interchangeable. The word “collide” no longer assumes that both things are in motion. These are minor things, but no one wants to be enforcing a usage guideline long after it’s dead.

What do you associate with style guide proficiency?

Proficiency with using a style guide is a bit like proficiency with editing in general. We can’t know everything, and we shouldn’t tell ourselves otherwise. Proficiency with a style guide means knowing what we need to look up and sometimes even looking up things we know we are right about. Proficiency is a bit of a false concept. There are many guidelines, many exceptions, and many gray areas where we need to look elsewhere for guidance and ultimately apply common sense. It’s possible to memorize most key points in a style guide, but our memories sometimes fail us, and guidelines do change.

_____

You can join in this conversation on July 24, at 7 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion some of the most important changes of 2019.

The Associated Press Stylebook, the essential guide to style and usage for news, PR, marketing, and corporate communication, is now updated for 2019 with its most substantive changes in years. NAIWE AP Stylebook Expert Mark Allen will discuss the important changes in a 90-minute webinar complete with humor and handouts.

The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! To register, send an email with your name and telephone number.

Mark Allen is an editor, writer, and teacher focused on helping people communicate with clarity and honesty. He has trained hundreds of editors and writers on a variety of topics, including the latest and most important elements in the Associated Press Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style. Mark has led conversations about copyediting and writing at conferences and workshops in Detroit, St. Louis, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Portland, Columbus, Chicago, Pittsburgh, New York City, and York, England. He was the first freelancer elected to the executive board of ACES: The Society for Editing, and Mark currently teaches advanced copyediting for UC San Diego Extension’s copyediting certificate program.

Categories: Board of Experts, Events, Style Manuals

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • Book Review: Vampire Grooms and Spectre Brides
  • Days to Celebrate in June
  • Book Review: Sinking Your Teeth into Proper Dental Care
  • Book Review: Words Left Unspoken
  • Member Benefit: Discount on Fictionary’s StoryTeller Software

Categories

Links

  • Member Area
  • NAIWE Bookstore
  • NAIWE- The Association Site
  • Words Matter Week

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Latest Posts

Book Review: Vampire Grooms and Spectre Brides

June 2, 2025

Days to Celebrate in June

May 30, 2025

Book Review: Sinking Your Teeth into Proper Dental Care

May 26, 2025

Book Review: Words Left Unspoken

May 12, 2025

Member Benefit: Discount on Fictionary’s StoryTeller Software

May 9, 2025

Book Review: Good Grief

May 5, 2025

Contact Us

  • 804-476-4484
  • P.O. Box 412
    Montpelier, VA 23192-0412
Facebook Instagram Linkedin twitter

© NAIWE. All rights reserved. Designed by My House of Design.