Publish Her Style Guide

STYLE REFERENCES: AP Stylebook (apstylebook.com) and Merriam-Webster Dictionary (merriam-webster.com)

AGES: Always use numerals. (Examples: Her child is a 5-month-old boy. The woman is in her 30s.)

COMMAS: Per AP style, no series commas in Publish Her publications, unless the sentence is a complex series of phrases or requires a series comma for clarity.

DATES: When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out the month when using it alone or with only a year. List the date with only the numeral. (Examples: The first event will be held Jan. 18, 2023. The second one will be in February 2023.)

ELLIPSES: Per AP style, the format is one space, then three dots (with no spaces in between), then one space after. Unless it’s at the end of a grammatically complete sentence, in which case include the period, then a space and the three dots. (Examples: “In all the decisions I have made in my public life, I have always tried to do what was best for the nation. … However, it has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base in … Congress.”)

EM DASH: Publish Her departs from AP style in its use of the em dash. When using an em dash, do not include a space on either side. (Example: This is what stories do—they elevate and evolve us.)

EXCLAMATION POINTS: Use one exclamation point for emphasis. Avoid using more than one.

FOREIGN WORDS: Some foreign words and abbreviations have been accepted universally into the English language and can be found in the dictionary: bon voyage, rendezvous, versus, etc. These can be kept in regular type, with no quotation marks needed. If a lesser-known foreign word is used in a story, put it in quotation marks on first mention and provide an explanation. (Example: “ad astra per aspera,” a Latin phrase meaning “to the stars through difficulty.”)

ITALICS: AP style does not use italics. Quotation marks may be used to add emphasis to a word or phrase. In general, try to avoid using quotation marks too often for emphasis or irony, as this can start to look cluttered and distracting.

MEASUREMENTS: Always use numerals with units of measure. (Examples: He was 6 feet tall. The bullet casings were from a 9 mm gun.)

NAMES: After giving a person’s full name on first reference, we prefer to then refer to them by first name rather than last.

NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE TITLES: These do NOT get put in quotation marks, per AP. Capitalize the title and leave it in the regular font.

NUMBERS: In general contexts, spell out numbers nine and below, per AP style (see AP Stylebook for exceptions related to things like age, measurements, dates, etc.).

PERCENT SIGN: Publish Her departs from AP style in its use of the percent sign. Rather than using the percent sign, Publish Her spells out the word. (Example: Women receive less than 25 percent of small business loans.)

QUOTATION MARKS: Use double quotation marks for composition titles (including books, movies, poems, artwork, etc.), dialogue, foreign words when needed, and to add emphasis to a word or phrase. The only time you would use single quotation marks would be for a quote within a quote or in headlines. In general, try to avoid using quotation marks too often for emphasis or irony, as this can start to look cluttered and distracting. (Example: She said, “He told me, ‘I love you.’”)

REGISTERED TRADEMARK SYMBOLS: Do NOT include the registered trademark symbol in narrative text in books, book descriptions, webpages, etc.—it is not legally required under any circumstance nor is it standard publishing practice. For webpages, advertisements, etc., you may include the registered trademark symbol ® on the first or most prominent use of the mark (typically the heading). Use only if the mark is federally registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Book titles may not be trademarked but the author may use their trademarked product or service as the title of their book.

SPACING AFTER PERIODS: Always use single spaces. There is never a place where you would use a double space.

STATE NAMES: The names of U.S. states should be spelled out when used in the body of a story, whether they’re standing alone or in conjunction with a city name.

TIME: Always use numerals. List times with a.m., p.m. in lowercase, with periods. Spell out “o’clock” for times in dialogue that are round numbers. (Examples: The event committee scheduled a meeting for 10:30 a.m. “My appointment is at 1 o’clock.”)

YOGA TERMS: AP style doesn’t cover yoga pose names or terms. Respected yoga publications vary in how they address names. The New York Times is inconsistent but usually lowercases pose names like savasana as well as vinyasa yoga itself. To simplify things, Publish Her uses lowercase pose names across the board (as well as for vinyasa).

(Updated August 2024)