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Why do we need a style guide?
When it come to online content there is an high level expectation of quality in the media and publishing industry. Our content is constantly under scrutiny and we can be punished for any grammatical mistakes, missing or incorrect information. By following this style guide you will ensure the site is up to standard at all times.
Below are rules for writing website copy. If you are unsure then The Economist Style Guide and the BBC Academy News Style Guide are both great resources as editorial guides.
Download the Style Guide PDF version here
NAMES & TITLES
Name of the company
DO USE:
Curtis Brown
Curtis Brown Group Ltd
DO NOT USE:
CBG
CB
The Curtis Brown Agency
Titles
Titles are written in mixed case italics when the title appears as part of a sentence or paragraph.
DO USE:
Boy A
Skins
Girl with a Pearl Earring
DO NOT USE:
BOY A
BOY A
Skins
-
Girl With A Pearl Earring
‘Skins’
“Skins”
Treat newspapers, magazines and programmes like other titles
DO USE:
the Observer
The Sunday Times
the Spectator
GQ
Vogue
Today
Law in Action
Newsnight
(Only The Economist and The Times have The italicised as the word is part of the name of the publication)
DO NOT USE:
Arena Magazine
“FHM”
INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
-
I’m a celebrity get me out of here.
PUBLISHERS & DATES
With Publishers in brackets, publisher first, then year, no commas, days or months (unless the date is of specific importance, such as an anniversary, in which case you should probably write a sentence to explain it).
DO USE:
(Bloomsbury 2007) or (Penguin 1952)
It was published by Canongate in 2005.
It was published on 26 October 1998, exactly two hundred years after the battle took place.
DO NOT USE:
Bloomsbury, 2007
1952 Penguin
7 November 2003, Profile
or any variations thereof.
PUNCTUATION
Full stops – only leave one normal space after a full stop, not 2, 3 or even 4.
This spacing is right. There is only one space after the full stop.
This spacing is wrong. There are three spaces after the full stop.
No space before a colon or comma
This spacing is right: there is no space before the colon.
This is correct, with one space after the comma.
This spacing is wrong : there is a space before the colon.
This is incorrect , with a space before the comma.
When using a forward slash “/”symbol – no space before or after
This is correct/right. i.e. Tiger Aspect/Channel 4
This is incorrect / wrong. Tiger Aspect / Channel 4
BOLD TEXT/EMPHASIS
DO USE:
BAFTA-nominated film
This ground-breaking novel
DO NOT USE:
BAFTA-nominated film
This ground-breaking novel
INITIALS & ABBREVIATIONS
Generally, avoid full stops for initials / abbreviations
DO USE:
Mr Smith
L Ron Hubbard
C L R James
MP for Lewes
DO NOT USE:
Mr. Smith
L. Ron Hubbard
C.L.R. James
M.P. for Lewes
CLIENT NAMES
If a client is dead then refer to them by their surname – it is more respectful somehow.
However if they are still alive then we tend to use their first name as it is more friendly!
The exception to this is when someone is only known by their title e.g. Lord Dunsany
Examples:
Although he kept diaries, Thesiger never intended to write a book about his journeys..
John Le Carre’s lastest novel A Most Wanted Man was published on Tuesday. John spoke to journalists ….
COMMON WORDS AND PHRASES
DO USE: award-winning
DO NOT USE: awardwinning
DO USE: bestseller, bestselling
DO NOT USE: best-seller, best-selling
DO USE: BAFTA
DO NOT USE: Bafta
BBC – All BBC channels should be referred to as BBC1, BBC2, BBC3 etc with no gaps.
Channel 4 NOT Channel Four, C4
Channel Five NOT Five, Channel 5
DO USE: Shortlisted / Longlisted
DON’T USE: Short-listed / Long-listed
DO USE: TV OR television
DO NOT USE: tv OR telly
DATES AND NUMBERS
When writing numbers within copy numbers up to 10 write in words:
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine
After 10 write in numerals:
10, 27, 35, 102
3,582
Big Numbers:
12 million
DO NOT USE:
Ten
twenty-seven
thirty five
One hundred and two
Three thousand, five hundred and eight two
DO USE:
10th June
10th June 2015
DO NOT USE:
10TH June
10th of June
10 June
June 10
June 10th
June
DO USE:
1950s
1800s
DO NOT USE:
Nineteen fifties
1800’s
DO USE:
19th Century history
DO NOT USE:
19th century history
Use an apostrophe for minutes:
3 x 45’
1 x 120′
Series numbers should be written in numerals:
1, 2, 3, 4,
DO NOT USE:
I,II, III, IV
One, two, three
Dates of programmes, credits – year only within brackets with the second year abbreviated.
(2006)
(2004-05)
(1998-2001)
2004-2005
Sept 2003