Books are the anchors of the publishing world, at least judging by the weight of The Chicago Manual of Style. They’re also the subject of CMOS’s first seventy-six numbered paragraphs (1.1–76)—and of this month’s “Chicago style” workout. Take the quiz to learn more.
When you write a book to send to an agent or editor, you are preparing a manuscript. And even if your ideas, characters, and plot twists are colorful and creative, your manuscript format should not be.
From public domain and “all rights reserved” to fair use and permissions, many of the basic principles of copyright will be familiar to those of us who work with words. But anyone can use a refresher.
Everyone makes mistakes, but if you goof online at your author website or in social media, the potential for ruin these days is downright scary. That doesn’t mean you should hide in fear or shame.
In light of recent announcements elsewhere in publishing, many of our readers have been asking us whether we continue to recommend lowercase for terms such as black and white to refer to a person’s race or ethnicity, “unless a particular author or publisher prefers otherwise.”
A few weeks ago at my local library I came across a novel I’d been wanting to read. I didn’t have time for another book, but I took it home anyway.
Michael Gross is director of legal services at the Authors Guild, Inc., a professional organization founded in 1912 to protect the interests of writers in copyright, fair contracts, and free expression.
Known for her patience, generosity, sparkling wit, and ready laugh, Margaret D. F. Mahan played a significant role in the University of Chicago Press’s history and success. Margaret joined the Press in 1962 as a marketing copywriter for the Books Division and moved to the Manuscript Editing Department five years later. By the time she retired in 1998, she had
Cheryl Klein is editorial director at Lee & Low Books and the author of The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults and the forthcoming picture book Wings.
CMOS: What’s the story behind coming up with a style guide for cybersecurity? BH: Through freelance work in many genres, I’ve learned that every niche of editing has its own universe of vocabulary.
