THE American Grammar Guide: The Chicago Manual of Style, Seventeenth Edition, Released 09.05.2017

For all United States authors—whether you write fiction or nonfiction books, regardless if you plan to self-publish said works or to go the traditional publishing route—your main go-to guides should be:

1. For Grammar: The Chicago Manual of Style, Seventeenth Edition (aka 17CMS herein), which released in early September 2017. Per 17CMS 1.1, these grammar rules and their many exceptions apply to books and journals for publication (meaning, both fiction and nonfiction books).
2. For Spelling (per 17CMS 2.54): Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition (aka Web11). However, note that rules like 17CMS 7.89 may override some preferred Web11 spellings.

Don't believe me? Check with any of the Big Five publishers. Aside from their own in-house style guides (that trump both Web11 and 17CMS on certain issues), you'll find they use the same two reference books that I do, because this pair represents the standard accepted guidelines for US book publishing.

I've been copyediting for almost a decade now, starting out with a well-known NYC publisher for 5.5 years, but now I work exclusively with Indie-publishing authors. So I've gone through three editions of the CMS to date. Here's a photo of my flagged copies of 15CMS and 16CMS. Do your copies look like mine? Ha!

As you can see in the next picture, my 17CMS copy is more pristine and for two reasons. One, I've just had it for not quite three months. Two, I also purchased the 17CMS online version, which should keep my physical reference book a tad neater. We'll see in a year or two.

So all authors should be aware of the basic grammar and spelling rules, checking these two reference books and hiring editors as needed.

On a side note, check out my new website (link in my signature below). I've got the bare bones setup initiated but will add more pages in my spare time.

Hope everyone had a happy and safe and fun Thanksgiving. Got your tree up yet? Mine is, but it's pretty bare at the moment. This year will be another experiment, as I have mischievous pets who like to play with the wooden ornaments and chew on the (fake or real) needles. I may have to remove my tree from my house. I hope not.

Have a great weekend, all.

"If your vocation isn’t a vacation, then quit, leap, change careers."

Denise Barker, Author, Blogger, Copy Editor
Books that Build Character(s)

https://deniseannbarker.com
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I Love September

I really love September.

I'm an all-out lover of summer (which doesn't officially end until 09.22.12). Comes from being a Deep South gal, I guess. I even love Dallas-area weather, with its expected 104 high temp set for today.

But tomorrow! I think our high will be 87 lovely degrees. Can't wait.

While summer is the Queen of the Seasons in my book, September may be the King of the Months.

I love it because:

• It heralded the beginning of school way back when and I LOVED school. I guess I was a geek early in life (maybe still am--after all, I am a freelance copy editor so that makes me a bona fide grammar geek for sure).
• I would be taking classes at the local college now if time and money permitted. Believe me, they are still on my wish list.
• September usually beckons in the cooler weather and after too many days of unrelenting one-hundred-plus degrees here in the great state of Texas, I welcome the advent of fall.
• Besides school starting, I have found other things starting in various Septembers over the years: such as meeting new people who evolved into really great friends--and usually while I was at another friend's wedding, which is a big new beginning, for sure. I know September doesn't automatically signal the big day like June does, but still . . . many different blessings abound this time of year.
• We start off a cycle of celebrations (which seems to make people even nicer). First we get cooler weather even before the autumn equinox. Then Halloween, my birthday, Thanksgiving, my son's birthday, Christmas, New Year. Have you ever noticed that the majority of the holidays fall in a cluster at the end of the year through the first quarter? If it weren't for Memorial Day and Independence Day, we would have to go a long, long time without a single holiday in the middle portion of a calendar.

I understand that fall means the trees lose their leaves and we are working our way toward the dormant winter months, but it still means rebirth to me. I guess the eternal optimist in me is bouncing forward to spring. Which is a great season too.

Anyway, just had to share this. Usually here in Texas, once Labor Day comes and goes, we don't have those 100+ days any more. Not this year apparently. But today should be THE LAST of them. Hope so. I may actually mow my yard tomorrow! But not if it is 105 out there.

Enjoy your day, everyone.

Denise Barker, author + blogger + copy editor

http://bit.ly/DeniseBarkerBlog

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