A custom Style Guide (sometimes called a Style Sheet) is a document created specifically for your publication, brand, or editorial project that outlines the rules and preferences for writing, formatting, and editing content consistently.

​

While editors often follow established standards such as AP, Chicago, or MLA style, every organization has unique preferences for things like terminology, capitalization, punctuation, branding, abbreviations, spelling choices, and formatting. A custom style guide captures these decisions in one place so every piece of content maintains a consistent voice and appearance — regardless of who writes or edits it.

​

Examples of items included in a custom style guide may include:

• Preferred spelling and terminology

• Brand names and product capitalization

• Hyphenation and punctuation preferences

• Formatting rules for headings, lists, and dates

• Tone of voice and editorial standards

• Industry-specific terminology and usage guidelines

​

A custom style guide saves time, reduces revisions, and ensures consistency across websites, blogs, books, manuscripts, marketing materials, and other published content. 

I chat with Kendra Corman of Imperfect Marketing on how Style Guides are important for businesses as well as authors.