The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer’s Resource

Chicago Manual of Style - Online

by Anne Wayman on October 4th, 2006

The Chicago Manual of Style is one of those reference books that can sit on your shelf for months and months collecting dust. But if you have anything to do with writing, editing or producing books, it’s a must-have reference. And that included ebooks, and even, in some instances, reports or other lengthy manuscripts.

I most often used the Parts of a Book Section. It helps me be sure I’ve got the right order for the front matter, shows me how to handle footnotes, lists of tables and other details that I find difficult to keep straight.

But it doesn’t stop there. It’s got a great section on manuscript preparation, how to handle author’s edits, a style guide and specific information on proofreading.

Although I recently told our forum I wanted to stick with my hard copy manual, I did check out online version. I may change my mind. First of all, there’s a 30 day free trial, and it’s really free. You simply register. No calls for credit cards for later billing, just register. I assume if I don’t spend $25 for an annual subscription, I won’t be able to access the site after my trial period. I like this approach.

It’s worth exploring. There’s a nifty chart on the whole publishing process, some sample letters and other information that is at least interesting, and, in some cases, downright helpful.

Write well and often,

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