Many Writers, One Clear Voice
by Susan Raab
Published on this site: November 7th, 2005 - See
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Imagine creating your first book, one on which hangs the future
of your company-and maybe even the industry you love. Imagine
you have a publishing contract, five editors, a eighty contributing
authors, hundreds of draft pages, a deadline in five weeks
and a growing fear that the book you intended to create is
nowhere in sight!
Such was the plight of Jane Deuber, one of the founders of
the Direct Selling Women's Alliance, in May 2004. She had
described her vision for the book to all the authors and editors,
but the content they were sending her was consistent in only
one way: it didn't measure up!
She gave me a chance to edit one of the submissions. When
she read my version, she gasped, "Why, this is easy to
read!" Yes, I had designed a style that delivered the
value of her vision. But the more impressive trick was yet
to come: describing that style to the other editors in enough
detail that they could duplicate it.
To do this, I wrote a style guide.
Guardian of the Brand Voice
Cruising around the Internet, perhaps you've noticed that
different sites convey different attitudes: Yahoo is rambunctious,
Google is quirky, and Microsoft is all buttoned up. With hundreds
of writers producing tens of thousands of pages online, how does a corporation ensure that its brand voice
permeates every paragraph?
It writes a style guide.
Do you need a style guide?
I think so.
Before you write any content, you need to design a style
that delivers the value of your vision in a way that helps
your audience achieve its goals as quickly (or as entertainingly)
as possible within its limitations. Even when you are working
by yourself, writing is easier when you design the style first
instead of working it out as you go along.
When you're working with other writers, the style guide is
an indispensable tool for discussing options and achieving
consensus before anyone writes anything-giving everyone the
chance to write it right the first time, which is always the
cheapest way.
When you're working with subject matter experts who may or
may not know how to write, a good style guide is your ticket
to delegating the entire cleanup to a contract editor. Describe
your style design in detail, and you'll find the editors at
E-Lance in heartfelt competition for your business because
you've clearly defined what they need to do to be successful.
So What's In a Style Guide?
For every information product, my style guide covers these
topics:
Information Architecture. This lays out the highways and
byways the reader can follow to get to the information she's
looking for. When you're designing a book, it's the table
of contents, index, and cross-references. When you're designing
a Web site, it's the navigation bars, buttons, links, and
search function. When you're designing something really big
like an enterprise product rollout, it's the kinds of documents
(quick start guide, handbook, training workbook, frequently-asked
questions) and the order in which the customer encounters
and reads them for the most productive experience.
Information Design. This determines what the reader experiences
when she finds what she's looking for: how the headings are
formatted, how the paragraphs are structured, how lists and
tables fit in. In the corporate world, the heading and body
fonts are typically decided by marketing department as part
of the brand image. When you're working solo, you can further
your own image by choosing your own fonts.
Editorial Design. This describes the elements that give your
style its attitude: the preferred voice, word choices, punctuation,
and capitalization-potentially an immense domain! So start
by citing authorities you trust, like the Chicago Manual of
Style and the Merriam Webster Collegiate dictionary. Then
your style guide only has to cover where your style varies
from these standards.
Exceptions. No matter how carefully I plan my guides, at
least one corner case always pops up to defy me. Make a list
of exceptions so that all contributors can handle them correctly.
You'll need the reminders yourself if you have to take a break
from the project long enough to cloud your memory.
Getting Started with Style
- If you're a young writer, start looking for these style
elements in the content you read. Notice how they affect
your reading experience.
- If you're an intermediate writer, improve your productivity
by designing an appropriate style before you start writing.
- If you're a senior writer, start discussing these topics
with your clients and coworkers, build some consensus, and
document the results. Then take advantage by using it either
as a teaching tool for young writers or as a job description
for contract editors. Either way, you'll find it easier
and more cost-effective to delegate and share the load.
- If you're a marketer determined to convey the unique
qualities of your brand, endorse the creation of a company
style guide and support the effort needed to enforce it
in all communications. Stop missing all those little chances
to convey your brand's values and to create the unique feelings
you want your customer to have about your brand-they add
up to a big opportunity!
Award-winning writer Susan Raab is the creative force
behind hundreds of business titles, bringing the Power of
Clear to corporations and small publishers. For free articles
and writing tips, visit http://www.ContentWheel.com
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