BellaOnline Forums Career Nonfiction Writing Style Manuals--Which one do you use?

I was trained to use both the Associated Press Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style. However, I've been going by memory for years and just recently cracked open my AP style book--from 1987, YIKES. I'm going to read it from cover to cover to see what I've forgotten and what hidden tidbits I've been missing out on.

So what's your style?

When I was copy editor for a literary agency, I had to use Chicago Manual of Style. This is the most common style manual and the one used for newspapers. Kate Turabian style is in abbreviated format and follows most of the same rules as Chicago. When I was doing work for doctoral thesis (not my own but editing doctoral papers), Kate Turabian was the manual to use.

Since styles and formats do change with time, it's best to always keep the most update edition of the style manual required. Also, publishers will tell you which style manual they want used.

I have always been told that APA (American Psychological Association) is only for papers from a medical or scientific basis. Both my daughter and daughter-in-law are registered nurses but are working on their bachelors in nursing. For this they use the APA style manual.

Yes, I do need to get an updated version of my style book tho it's fascinating to look at the old one. I basically go by memory and of course check dictionaries for spelling. I notice with the internet �style� doesn�t seem as important as it was when I was training to become a print journalist 20 years ago.

I'm with you, Leah. As a journalism major, I was trained to go by the AP Stylebook but over the years, I've gotten lazy. I also wrote academic papers using the APA manual but no longer need that. I should dust off my AP Stylebook and get with it.