Re: Style, format etc

[Scott Miller <scott_miller -at- CCMAIL -dot- COM>]

SNIPPED>>>>>
I'm currently trying to put together some sort of proposal for a "company
style guide". <<<<<

Your biggest problem when developing a style guide will be getting writers and
editors to buy into it.  If anyone feels unduly left out of the process, or that
rules and regulations are being foisted on them, you will encounter incredible
resistance.  I've been on both sides of this, the style-guide creator and the
writer howling on the sidelines, and it can be a horrifying process.  You just
can't believe how passionate writers can get about, for example, colons.

On the other hand, it can be a lot of fun, once you get everyone behind it.
Here's what I suggest:

1.  Market the idea, for example, present it as something that will help
writers, not hinder their creativity.

2.  Be very loud about making sure that everyone has a voice in the process.
You will probably ignore 95% of what you hear, but they don't need to know that.

3.  Establish a committee (gag) that has representatives from writing, editing,
graphics, and production.  Meet every week to discuss style issues.  When
choosing committee members, give high priority to people who are good in
meetings, that is, they stay on track, they have a sense of humor, they follow
up on action items, they are able to make decisions quickly, and they hate
meetings so they want to get it over with quickly.

4.  Before you meet every week, post an agenda of the issues that will be
discussed.  Allow everyone on and off the committee to make comments on the
issues.

5.  After you meet every week, post the results of the meeting and list the
resolved issues, with (very important!) the reasons why you made the decisions
(for example, "Because we're on the committee and your aren't.  Nyah.")  Allow
for reopening the issue if someone has a legitimate beef.

6.  When everything is resolved, draw straws and have the loser write the style
guide.  Include lots of examples, but don't bother including the reasons why you
made decisions.  At this point, people will just have to live with it.

7.  Enforce the implementation.  (Good luck.)

8.  Update the style guide as needed.

The whole process should take about 3-6 months, possibly longer.  It's a lot
faster to just have one person write the thing and plonk it on everyone's desk,
but if you go that route you will have a lot of trouble getting people to use
it, and you also might get your tires slashed.

- Scott_Miller -at- ccmail -dot- com

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