Formatting Tips arose from my frustration over the improper use of caps and lowercase, mixing topics within paragraphs, not isolating speakers, and it quickly escalated from there.
Formatting Tips are . . .
. . . all about appearance. How to treat abbreviations, what to do about acronyms (and initialisms), when to capitalize (and when not!), using diacritics, and what requires italics (and, yes, not *grin*). Do not even get me started on numerals! Who knew numerals had so many rules!?
Formatting also explores typographical issues — yep, they’re all about appearance too. it’s widows-and-orphans, tracking, kerning, rivers, romans, countrym-, oops, getting caught in my Shakespeare there . . .
Explore the current posts on formatting issues which confuse many authors. Explore it and reduce or eliminate them from your own publications. For more detail on the “anatomy” of a formatting tip, see below
Your book’s appearance reflects your own “appearance” as a professional author. Give it your best!
Formatting Tip Posts:
Anatomy of a Formatting Tip
Formatting is similar to the Grammar Explanations in that it provides a category, defines it, includes rules that must be followed (sometimes a note about which style guide that rule belongs to is included), and examples. The examples range from a word to a phrase to a sentence. It all depends.
This list is in no way complete, and I’d love it if you’d send your own suggestions and comments . . . I don’t necessarily promise to include them, but . . .
If you know someone who could use some help with their own formatting issues, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this self-editing aid for future updates.
Pinterest Photo Credits
Woman in Front of a Mirror was painted by Mosè Bianchi and is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Revised as of 29 Jan 2024
By: Kathy Davie