The Chicago Manual of Style is the bible of style guides for writers, editors and publishers. One hundred years ago a proofreader at the young University of Chicago Press started jotting down a few notes--the humble beginnings of this style guide. Today it is one of the greatest tools for the writer and editor. Here are a few tips about use this indispensable reference tool online and off line.
Instructions
1. Pick up a copy of the Chicago Manual of Style 15th edition, the latest edition, if you can afford it. Otherwise, the 14th is still a great writer's tool.
2. Go online and sign up for a free month trial of the online Chicago Manual of Style.
3. Turn to the Contents page in the front of the book to see how the book is laid out. This book will answer all your questions about rules of punctuation, standards and format for footnotes, endnotes and citations.
4. Skim through the index in the back of the book. The Chicago Manual of Style has a detailed index that not only notes the page number but the very paragraph number on the page as well.
5. Go online and find even more tools and helpful information. Here you can search your questions, use tools to set up your own personalized style guide, find information for writing for journals, guidelines for submitting digital artwork and more.
6. Use the Chicago Manual Style as your main writing, editing and publishing style guide to answer any question you may have about rules and standards of writing. But also know it is just that a style guide. Final decisions on style are yours and yours alone.
7. Check various style guides and use your own intuition and sense of the best way to present your work. But do not deviate too much--there are rules and standards that are expected in professional writing.
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