Writing Guides
Style | Usage | Publishing | Language Bias
Style Guides
Style guides are an essential adjunct to academic and scholarly writing. They help to answer questions about writing that are not governed by the rules of grammar, questions for which there may be more than one possible answer.
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If you are new to style manuals, or wondering what manual is best for your manuscript, the following choices are best for academics and independent scholars working in the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts. They are issued in print and online versions, and updated regularly based on changes in English language standards. I've also included guides by Steven Pinker and Eric Hayot, both of which are valuable resources for academic and scholarly writers.
Click on an image for more information and to order a copy.​
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The Chicago Manual of Style
Designed primarily for scholarly publications, CMOS is the most comprehensive of all style guides. It has long been established for disciplines within the arts and humanities.
The MLA Handbook
Intended for scholars publishing in the areas of literature and language, the style manual of the Modern Language Association is also widely used in the humanities.
The APA Publication Manual
Designed for the psychology profession, the publication manual of the American Psychological Association is also used by other social sciences as well as nursing.
Turabian Manual
This manual by Kate Turabian is a modification
of the Chicago Manual of Style for doctoral students writing their dissertations.
The Sense of Style
The cognitive scientist, dictionary consultant, and New York Times–bestselling author Steven Pinker rethinks the usage guide for the twenty-first century using examples of modern prose.
The Elements of Academic Style
From granular concerns to big-picture issues,
Eric Hayot, professor of Comparative Literature
at Penn State, helps new PhDs and established professors shape their work and develop their voices.
Usage Guides
When it comes to usage of English words in published writing, editors may distinguish between “prescriptivism” (the idea that correct usage should be defined by language authorities) and “descriptivism” (the idea that usage is merely a historical record of word variants that change over time). The priority and relevance of these approaches has been argued about by linguists and style mavens for centuries. The controversy continues.
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What is most important is that academic and scholarly authors write in the manner that is currently expected and accepted by their peers and educated readers. On the one hand, an author's voice or ideas should not be squelched by rules that may in fact be arbitrary. On the other hand, the mere presence of a word in a respected dictionary as an acceptable variant does not mean that the academic community will consider it Standard Written English as opposed to an editorial or ignorant mistake.
That’s why in the academic publishing world, it makes sense to consult both a descriptive and a prescriptive guide to understand the issues and make your own informed decision about usage. For this reason, I recommend the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Online Dictionary and Brian Garner's Modern English Usage as your "go-to" guides for questions about standard, variant and preferred usage. Both resources are highly respected by copyeditors.
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Merriam-Webster's online dictionaries take a descriptive approach to usage. Included with each primary definition of a word are secondary variants currently acceptable in common usage. Inclusion of variants is based purely on corpus research rather than personal preferences. M-W will usually make clear which variants are considered slang or informal when making a choice to use them in formal publications.
Garner's Modern English Usage (4th edition) takes a more prescriptive approach based on how Standard Written English is currently understood by readers of academic and scholarly works. Garner accesses the Google database of English language books printed throughout the world to empirically document these trends. Using Google's ngram algorithm, he demonstrates which usages are mainstream in Standard Written English and which are linguistic anomalies not yet accepted by academic and scholarly communities.
Publishing Guides
I recommend the following guides for advice about publishing your manuscript, whether you're a doctoral student revising your dissertation in hopes for a first book contract; an associate professor publishing journal articles and book chapters with the goal of securing tenure; or an independent scholar self-publishing or seeking an agent in the serious non-fiction trade.
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Handbook for Academic Authors
Beth Luey's handbook provides reliable, concise advice about selecting the best publisher for your work, maintaining an optimal relationship with your publisher, submitting manuscripts to book and journal publishers, working with editors, navigating the production process, and helping to market your book. It also offers information about illustrations, indexes, permissions, and contracts and includes a chapter on revising dissertations.
Getting It Published
For more than a decade, academic and nonfiction writers have turned to William Germano for his insider’s take on navigating the world of scholarly publishing. A professor, author, and veteran of the book industry, Germano knows what editors want and what writers need to know to get their work published.
Revising Your Dissertation
Beth Luey's guide offers practical advice on successfully turning a dissertation into a book or journal articles that will appeal to publishers and readers. It will help prospective authors master writing and revision skills, better understand the publishing process, and increase their chances of getting their work into print.
Thinking Like Your Editor
Whatever the topic, from history and philosophy to business and gender studies, this book distills the wisdom of publishing professionals Susan Rabiner & Alfred Fortunato for serious nonfiction authors in search of publication. It explains how to tailor academic writing to a general reader, without losing ideas or dumbing down your work; how to write a compelling book proposal; and why "simple structure, complex ideas" is the mantra for creating serious and engaging nonfiction.
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What Editors Do
Publishing professional Peter Ginna gathers essays from 27 leading figures in book publishing about their work. Representing both large houses and small, and encompassing trade, textbook, academic, and children’s publishing, the contributors make the case for why editing remains a vital function to writers—and readers—everywhere.
Language Bias Guides
I'm not a sensitivity editor: that's a specialty. But I am conscious of bias in language that may unintentionally misrepresent a group's or individual's sense of authentic lived experience. In general, academics are typically among the most sensitive readers and writers in touch with the latest standards for avoiding bias. Yet these standards are often subject to rapid change, so it's always handy to have online recourses to consult.
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Click on any of the images below to access online guidelines for specific groups. Many allow you to subscribe to e-newsletters that will keep you up to date with the latest trends.
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If you are interested in consulting a professional sensitivity reader, visit the online directory at Writing Diversely.
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