(Marilynne Rudick and Leslie O'Flahavan)

In Part 1 of Is Website One Word? we discussed what we meant by editorial style and looked at the differences in existing style guides. We noted that even after choosing a published style guide as a primary reference, you'll need to customize it for your organization. In Part 2, we'll talk about how your editorial process will affect the type of style guide you need. We'll point you to some resources to help simplify the job of building your guide.

After leafing through the Chicago Manual of Style or the Associated Press (AP) Style Book, you're probably thinking that creating a style manual is a lot of work. Time to clean off your desk, answer spam, and track down your old college roommate.

But the task becomes manageable if you start by considering first, the scope of your style manual; and second, who will use it—experienced copy editors or everyone responsible for contributing content.

Determine the Scope Of Your Style Guide

What would you like your style guide to achieve? Are you just trying to clean up the copy—make sure capitalization and punctuation are consistent throughout the site? Or, do you want the guide to be broader, including overall website style (page format, rules for bulleted lists, heads)? Do you want to include web writing guidelines (for example, how to write hypertext links)?

Decide Who Will Be Using The Style Guide

Consider how you will handle editing for style. Will all text go to a central copy- editing group? If you are using experienced copy editors, familiar with style manuals, your task is simplified. Designate a published style guide as your primary reference (for example, Chicago, AP). Then put together an addendum that will cover where your style deviates from your chosen style guide and what's not included in the style guide (information specific to your organization or your website).

If you have many people and departments contributing content, most likely all writers will be responsible for checking their content for style. In this situation, you'll want a different type of style guide—something that's quick and easy to use. These writers probably haven't thought much about style and are not schooled in the finer points of punctuation and capitalization. They're not inclined to consult a thick style guide at every comma.

For these writers, you'll need to construct a style manual that covers the basics of style—general guidelines on punctuation, grammar and usage. (For example, “Use lower case except in these situations…”). Think Strunk and White's Elements of Style, a concise overview of writing and style principles (100 pages), not the all-inclusive Chicago Manual of Style (900 pages).

Most useful is an online searchable guide that all content contributors can access quickly and easily. Customize your spell-check so that it will flag style inconsistencies—internet, if your style calls for Internet.

Appoint A Style Czar

Regardless of how you handle the editorial process, grant one person the final word on style. The style czar should solicit input from writers, editors, designers, and technicians to ensure that all style decisions are consistent with site and page design. But ultimately, one person should take responsibility for style. Someone is going to have to issue an edict about whether website IS one word (and is it capitalized?).

And since web style is changing, with new words, conventions, and technologies appearing every day, the style czar should also have responsibility for updating the guide.

Review Your Own (And Others') Online Style

The best way to begin building your style guide is by reviewing the writing at your website. What style conventions are you following already? Print out some pages from your website and circle style conventions. What words or terms do you capitalize, abbreviate, or hyphenate? How do you punctuate items like phone and fax numbers? Do you almost always use e-mail, not email? Do writers consistently follow style conventions? (Probably not.) Begin constructing your organization's style guide or addendum by creating a list of the style conventions that exist already at your site and label it Existing Style and another sheet labeled Style Decisions for the issues you need to resolve.

Before making your style decisions, study the sites of similar organizations, industries, or audience. Review sites you like. What are the style consistencies among these groups?

Choose Tools To Streamline The Editorial Process

You're now ready to begin constructing your guide. Where can you go for help? Lana Castle has called upon her vast experience as an editor to put some method into what may seem like madness. Her book, Style Meister, The Quick Reference Custom Style Guide provides advice and worksheets to get the job done, including suggestions on constructing word lists. Castle says to use a two-column format, one column for your preferred word, such as disk; the second for words to avoid such as disc or diskette.

• Charts listing style options from which you can pick and choose.
• A model guide for specifying overall document style (font size, rules for lists and heads). Although designed for print, it can be easily adapted for websites.
  

Edit-work is a site devoted to web editing. It's a source of invaluable guidance and tools, including:

• An online style glossary. Edit-work's glossary is compiled from a variety of sources, including Chicago and AP style guides, the Gregg Reference Manual, and the Microsoft Manual of Style.
• A site style guide. Edit-work has posted the web style guide it used to develop the site. The guide includes rules for page formatting  and specifications for links, fonts and heads. It's a great model for compiling your own guide.

Will online editors ever agree about whether website is one word? Sure. Will editors ever be able to convince writers to follow the company style guide? Maybe. Until then, let's remember to edit kindly and keep in mind the words of Plato, that famous web copywriter: "Criticism comes easier than craftsmanship."

In Brief

Part 2 of an article series including tips and resources for constructing a customized style guide for your organization. Read Part 1 for advice on how a style guide can improve the writing at your site.