Style Sheets - Why do You Need Them?

Big corporations and publishers use style sheets - guidelines for writers - to be sure that each document has a consistent style and look. The editors of these companies don't want a mishmash of voices, designs, and standards. But what about a freelancer with a staff of none or few? Style sheets, or general guidelines, should be just as important for three reasons:

- You want your style and voice to be consistent throughout a manuscript;
- You want the style and voice to be consistent with your client's expectations; and/or
- You want to have a clearly-defined characteristic style in all your work.

I once wrote a long training manual of several hundred pages. Each of the chapters was a separate file. As I worked on each file, I found myself forgetting some of the formatting I'd decided to use. Was I using "e-mail" or "email"? Which titles has special formatting, and which titles were simply bolded? How many blank lines did I put between each section? Though I had set up special formatting in Miscrosoft Word, I still found it useful to jot down a few guidelines, and refer to them while proofreading.

Style sheets also help you define a particular voice or look. If your client doesn't have style guidelines for your use, examine the materials they have given you. Identify characteristic spelling, paragraph and sentence length, color choices, voice, and formatting of the source materials. Viewing the client's website, promotional materials, or any other work can also help you define their style. This can also be useful to you in forming a consistent style for your own company. Eventually your clients will come to recognize your "look and feel" - leading you to brand recognition.

Don't neglect your style - it says a lot about you and your business!