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 email! Please help!
A. I suspect that this style began to appear unintentionally as a result of inept word processing and has by now become a fad. A styled paragraph indent (instead of a typed tab) can get lost when the electronic file is converted to another application on its way to typesetting. In some display contexts (like book jackets) it might succeed as a hip design tactic, but in text it’s difficult to read. Although I’m not sure the trend qualifies as “tragic,” it’s certainly unhelpful to those of us who need our sleep.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
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?
A. Your work is protected by law from plagiarism regardless of whether you copyright it, and professional writers know this.
They also know that reputable publishers wouldn’t dream of ripping off their work—it’s
a bit insulting to suggest that you fear this. So your use of the copyright symbol will not impress an editor favorably. Good
luck with your pitch.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I’m in search of a good solid reference work for style in books in the sciences. Thanks.
A. We recommend Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 7th ed., compiled by the Style Manual Committee of the Council of Science Editors (Reston, VA: Council of Science Editors
in cooperation with the Rockefeller University Press, 2006).
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Greetings. Is it necessary to have a dissertation broken up into chapters?
A. Most educational institutions have dissertation guidelines or even requirements, so whether chapters are required or not
may depend on a school’s particular preferences. The use of chapters, however, shows that an author
has organized his thoughts to a certain extent. The lack of chapters might impress a dissertation committee as evidence of
the opposite.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. Should I double-space a press release? There seems to be little consensus on this issue, though most releases are single-spaced.
A. The reason some copy is double-spaced is that copy editors need room to write between the lines when they mark corrections.
If you’re drafting a press release for someone to edit on paper, double-space it. If it’s
the finished copy, single-spacing is conventional.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
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?
A. Please see CMOS 5.250, s.v. I; me: “When you need a first-person pronoun, use one. It’s not immodest to do so; it’s superstitious not to.”
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. This is a query about indexing. Please see the following example and advise:
hypotheses, 153–54
characteristics of, 154
See also research; variables
. . .
research
characteristics of, 154
data collection, 170
hypotheses, 153–54
Now, “hypotheses” is a subentry under “research”
(and refers to the same pages). In such a case, do we need to retain the “see also,”
since it points to another entry (“variables”) as well? How do we avoid repetition
of “hypotheses” here? Please suggest alternatives.
A. Include a term under “see also” only if the entry you are directing the reader
to gives additional information about the first entry. There’s no point in sending the reader to another
entry that turns out to be a duplicate of the first. When you think about it, it’s just plain mean.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
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.
A. Yes, it is essential for an indexer to index concepts. That’s the difference between a computer-generated
concordance to a book and a professionally prepared index. It would be perverse to contend that a discussion of justice must
contain the word “justice.” Sixth graders are old enough to understand this idea.
I doubt that they will be confused if the page they are sent to by the index contains information about laws, crimes, and
punishments, but if they are briefly confused, the experience will help them begin to learn what “justice”
means, as well as something important about using indexes.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
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.
A. This is the impression line. In Chicago’s books, the numbers are arranged somewhat differently from
your example. A book printed this year would have the following numbers:
14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 1 2 3 4 5
The first group of numbers refers to years (2014 to 2005), and the second group indicates the impression number. The line
tells the reader that this is the first impression, printed in 2005. If the next impression were printed in 2007, the printers
would mask the numbers 05 and 06 in the first group and the number 1 in the second group, so the following line would appear:
14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 2 3 4 5
This would tell readers that it was the book’s second impression, printed in 2007, and it could be done
without retypesetting the copyright page.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. What is the minimum number of sentences that can be used to make up a paragraph?
A. One.
Of course, a surfeit of one-sentence paragraphs will easily annoy readers, and in expository writing (as opposed to creative writing), most paragraphs will be much more highly developed in order to present and defend an argument.
In many contexts, however, such as newspaper articles or fiction, single-sentence paragraphs can add punch and variety to the writing, and should not be outlawed.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]