The house style guide is a house’s preferred style and is unique to each publishing house. In other words, it is where a house shows its deviation from the style manual of choice, i.e., though a house may follow CMS, the house may not use some particular suggestions within it.
They are important because the guidelines in the house style guide overrule the style manual. Therefore, to properly edit a piece in the style desired by the house, the house style guide is necessary.
The publishing house may supply you with the house style guide when sending you the editing project, or you will need to request it from the publisher.
When you gain a new client, what do you always look up in a house style guide?
April Michelle Davis has been the executive director of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) since 2018. Prior to that, she was NAIWE’s Social Media Marketing Expert. NAIWE is an association that focuses on career building for writers, editors, and other professionals in the publishing industry by developing multiple streams of income; it helps its members market their products and services through social media, newsletters, and more.
She is also the coordinator for the Virginia chapter of the Editorial Freelancers Association, a lifetime member of the American Copy Editors Society, and a freelance editor, indexer, proofreader, and author. April Michelle has taught courses through her own company, Editorial Inspirations, as well as for associations and colleges on topics such as editing, indexing, grammar, writing, and creating macros.
Her credentials include a master’s degree in publishing from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Messiah College, as well as certificates in editing (University of Virginia), book publishing (University of Virginia), and professional editing (EEI Communications).
April Michelle has shared her insights about her career development by contributing quotes and vignettes to several books. She has presented sessions on various editorial topics to many groups, including the Virginia Writers Club, the Communication Central conference, Randolph-Macon College, the Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, the EFA, Copyediting newsletter, RavenCon, and the Hanover Book Festival. In addition, April Michelle has published three books.
> When you gain a new client, what do you always look up in a house style guide?
Whether it states the preferred or mandatory version of English: US, UK, Australian, Canadian . . .
Other than that, citation style if any (Harvard or Vancouver), serial comma, capitalization of headings (sentence case or title case).