📚 I’ve been told that books light me up. Fiction and non-fiction. Ones that are new to me and ones that I’m rereading.

This month I’m going to talk about a book that I refer to almost every day.

New Hart’s Rules. The Oxford Style Guide.

I came across New Hart’s Rules (NHR) during my initial training as I changed career – Essential Proofreading from the Publishing Training Centre.

And it’s kept coming up. I often talk about it with colleagues.

And anyone who’s worked with me will probably have heard me mention it.

Getting into the nitty-gritty of editing and knowing that I have a book to turn to, that goes down to a deep level of detail, gives me great pleasure.

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Printed in 1893

Not bad for a book that was first printed in 1893. There have been more editions since then, and it’s evolved.

Now it’s part of a trio designed specifically for writers and editors.

The other books are the New Oxford Dictionary for Writers & Editors and the New Oxford Spelling Dictionary (a massive help with word division).

New Hart’s Rules has 21 chapters, which include spelling, hyphenation, punctuation, capitalization, quotations, numbers, notes and references, and bibliography.

And one of the entries in punctuation often causes a debate.

Serial commas

If I used the phrase ‘serial comma’, what would you think?

New Hart’s Rules notes that it is the ‘presence or lack of a comma before and or or in a list of three or more items’.

A couple of clients have asked if I meant the Oxford or Harvard comma when I mentioned the serial comma. Yes, the convention has come to be known by those names.

While the use of the serial comma is subject to much debate (it’s even had a song written about it: Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend), I believe it’s the author’s choice whether or not to use it, and their choice should be checked for consistency of use.

What does NHR say?

Of course, I double-checked what NHR had to say.

Although NHR is in favour of the serial comma, it notes: ‘The general rule is that one style or the other should be used consistently.’

Other style guides

There are other style guides I like – I’m particularly looking at you, The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS)! And yes, it’s in favour of the serial comma!

Different pieces of work call for different style guides, so I discuss this with clients in advance.

I’ve even signed up for Oxford Dictionaries Premium to access NHR online. This is very useful for efficiency. Highly recommended.

I’m a fan of CMOS online too.

What lights me up?

This book is the go-to reference guide for many editors working with British English. NHR is often mentioned when I’m chatting to colleagues. And when a question comes up during an edit, I know NHR will be there for me. That lights me up 💡

#BooksLightMeUp

#Editing

#Proofreading

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📚 I’m Lisa. I’m an editor and proofreader, specialising in business books and fiction. I spent many years as a chartered accountant before retraining as an editor and proofreader. Now I get to embrace my degree in English lit! I’d love to connect with your book too. Drop me an email or book an editorial cuppa if you'd like to chat.