Manuscript Preparation
Q. Where should illustrations and the lines of text that refer to them be placed with respect to one another? Should the illustration be allowed to interrupt the text, say with the last line of text aligned with the bottom of the illustration and saying “as in the figure to the right”? Or should the illustration always go below an unbroken paragraph? Answer »
Q. I’m compiling footnotes for a history book, and in several instances a newspaper is cited. Is it proper to list the city of origin in parentheses and italics for each newspaper? The paper is located in Virginia, Minnesota. The name of the paper is Mesabi Daily News. The author of the book is listing this newspaper in the footnotes as (Virginia) Mesabi Daily News. Should all the words be in italics, or just the name of the paper and not the city? Thanks for your help. Answer »
Q. A styling trend lately that is keeping me up at night is a failure to identify new paragraphs by either a line break or an indent.This new line of text, for example, is the sort of thing I mean. Is this a new paragraph or not? How can one tell? Does it matter?I first spotted this ambiguous formatting in ad copy (which at the time I presumed to be bulleted points without the bullets), and then in corporate communications. But tragically, yesterday I read a review on the back of a novel that did the same thing: a new line for every sentence without letting me know if it was a new paragraph or not.I’m already annoyed by the look of this e-mail! Please help! Answer »
Q. I’m in search of a good solid reference work for style in books in the sciences. Thanks. Answer »
Q. When submitting a pitch package (my first novel, copyrighted) to a literary agent (query letter/synopsis/first three chapters) I have heard that it is bad manners or insulting to use the copyright symbol. Why? Is it true? Is there correct behavior? Answer »
Q. Greetings. Is it necessary to have a dissertation broken up into chapters? Answer »
Q. Should I double-space a press release? There seems to be little consensus on this issue, though most releases are single-spaced. Answer »
Q. This is a widely debated issue. When reporting on your own research in a manuscript, do you refer to yourself in the first or third person? Example: “The authors surveyed participants at a local library” or “We surveyed participants at a local library.” What is CMOS’s take on this issue? Answer »
Q. I’m currently editing a manuscript for a children’s fiction book that has been written in present tense. A few months back, when Americanizing another manuscript, I changed it from present tense to past tense. Although I have no citable rule to back up my decision, I feel as if these books should be written in past tense. Present tense just sounds odd for children’s fiction. Is this a paradigm that I should be willing to ignore, or is there an arguable reason that I have this tendency? I would appreciate any rationale you have to offer. Answer »
Q. Our out-of-house indexer has indexed the word “justice” for a book on law and order in the ancient world. However, the word “justice” does not appear on many of the pages he included. Those pages contain discussions of laws, crimes, and punishments, but do not actually use the word “justice.” “Justice” does specifically appear on several pages, which he included. However, for the others, he has really indexed the concept of justice, rather than the word itself. Is this permitted in indexing? This is a book for sixth graders, who might be confused if they look for the word on a page, but can’t find it. I hope I’m clear about the problem. Answer »
Q. I am a small press. I would like to know what the numbers on the copyright page represent that are written: 2 3 4 5 6 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3, for example. Answer »
Q. What is the minimum number of sentences that can be used to make up a paragraph? Answer »
Q. I’m totally blind and have decided to edit and proof my own manuscript. How would a blind person proof a manuscript? Answer »
Q. If I use a term in writing such as “infra dig,” should I use quotations with parentheses to explain the term immediately following the expression? I assume I should, as “infra dig” is a seldom-used term. Most authors seem (to me) to just include their arcane words and phrases to force the readers to look up the words or not, as they choose. Answer »
Q.I need to know how to make a title page for a Chicago-style paper, and the book I have doesn’t give me an example of one. Please help, as this paper is due on Monday! Thanks :) Answer »
Q.How does one go about preparing an index? Any web page I can go to? Answer »
Q.I’m editing a series of reports that use abbreviated forms of the sometimes lengthy titles in the footer. Are there any recommended guidelines for abbreviating titles for this purpose (e.g., use of acronyms, elimination of less important prepositional phrases), or is this at the discretion of the author or editor? Answer »
Q. I have read the only other question in your Q&A to mention APA—and no, I’m not asking for you to send a copy of Chicago format for my manuscript. But as I have been using APA for a number of years and now am faced with switching to Chicago Manual, I was wondering if there are any significant differences that I should focus on first. My impression as I have checked citation formats, grammar rules, and the like is that there are mainly minor differences. (Hope I’m not offending anyone!) Thank you for this service! Answer »
Q. Hello. I’m editing a manuscript in which the author frequently uses the conjunction “or” in places where “and” would be more appropriate, usually in run-in lists preceded by “such as.” For example, she writes, “Once a day, use a soothing fragrance- and sulfate-free cream cleanser with anti-inflammatory herbs such as aloe or rose.” She indicated to me that she means one would only use one of these items, either aloe or rose, so I changed “herbs” to the singular, but she objected to this alteration. Can you offer any suggestions? Thank you. Answer »
Q. All my classes have previously used APA format. Now I need to use Chicago. Can you send me the format for my paper and how to cite references from the Internet and class textbook? Thank you. Answer »
Q. As a young magazine editor, I was trained to write “TK” to indicate that information or text is “to come.” The habit has stuck with me, although it makes much more sense to use “TBD” (to be decided) or some other (correct) abbreviation. What does “TK” really stand for, and why do we use it? Answer »
Q. I am editing a history book with three parts. The translator for part 1 and the writer of part 2 are now deceased; part 3 was written by a living person. Do I include birth and death dates on the title page? I also have a separate page beginning each part. Should the birth and death date be included there also or instead? Should the birth date of the living author (and editor) be included? Answer »
Q. When breaking a URL, can a hard return be used? If not, how should it be done? You give examples of broken URLs, but it is not clear how that is done according to a press’s and printer’s requirements. Answer »
Q. What is the recommended font style to use for manuscripts, books, etc., to make it easier for the reader? Answer »
Q. Hello. Are there any samples of manuscript formats for fiction writing in your new updated book? Answer »
