Q. I need to know how to make a title page for a Chicago-style paper, and the book I have doesn’t give me an example of one. Please help, as this paper is due on Monday! Thanks :)
A. The problem here may be that you are trying to use CMOS for writing a paper, when it is not intended for that use. Kate L. Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations is a standard student reference for writing papers. I highly recommend that you take a look at Turabian, which is available in bookstores and many school libraries. While it’s based on Chicago style, it’s a much smaller book and easier to navigate than CMOS. There are also many websites that show Turabian style. Type “Turabian title page” into Google and you’ll find one. Here’s an example:
Gallaudet University, “Chicago (Turabian) Style Guide”
Good luck on that Monday deadline!
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I’m editing a series of reports that use abbreviated forms of the sometimes lengthy titles in the footer.
Are there any recommended guidelines for abbreviating titles for this purpose (e.g., use of acronyms, elimination of less
important prepositional phrases), or is this at the discretion of the author or editor?
A. CMOS doesn’t offer advice on this subject, so I would advise you to keep the reader in mind and phrase running
feet or heads in a way that will be most helpful. Acronyms are fine, as is the elimination of less important words. And the
editor should specify rather than leave the chopping to the typesetter.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. How does one go about preparing an index? Any web page I can go to?
Q. Hello. I’m editing a manuscript in which the author frequently uses the conjunction “or”
in places where “and” would be more appropriate, usually in run-in lists preceded
by “such as.” For example, she writes, “Once a day, use
a soothing fragrance- and sulfate-free cream cleanser with anti-inflammatory herbs such as aloe or rose.”
She indicated to me that she means one would only use one of these items, either aloe or rose, so I changed “herbs”
to the singular, but she objected to this alteration. Can you offer any suggestions? Thank you.
A. Sometimes authors don’t really want their work to be edited. At this point you might write her a note
about “loose ends,” or “things that still bother me,”
saying that you wonder whether you didn’t explain your editing clearly enough the first time and that
you’d like to try again. If the author still won’t make changes, then at least
you’ve done your job. (Save the evidence!) The author’s name goes on the title
page, so she’s right to defend her manner of expression. But if her writing is ungrammatical, and you
feel that your publication’s reputation is at stake, you might have to be more firm and tell her, “Sorry—we
don’t feel that these corrections are negotiable.” (Check the author’s
contract first to make sure she is obliged to accept the editing.) Ultimately, you have the last say, since you’re
the one in control of the manuscript. But it doesn’t do to alienate your writers. In the worst cases,
it’s better to compromise on minor points and focus on the more important ones.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. All my classes have previously used APA format. Now I need to use Chicago. Can you send me the format for my paper and how to cite references from the internet and class textbook? Thank you.
Q. As a young magazine editor, I was trained to write “TK” to indicate that information or text is “to come.” The habit has stuck with me, although it makes much more sense to use “TBD” (to be decided) or some other (correct) abbreviation. What does “TK” really stand for, and why do we use it?
A. According to the Abbreviations Dictionary (9th ed., 1995), by Ralph De Sola, Dean Stahl, and Karen Kerchelich, tk (only this lowercase form is listed) means to kum and is “a printer’s expression meaning material is to come.” I remember using the abbreviation in the composing and stripping rooms of a print shop (in the 1980s), and I always liked that it was tk and not tc—as if the initials were some sort of trade secret known only to printers. I’ve since learned, as a manuscript editor who must communicate on various drafts of manuscript or proof to authors, book designers, typesetters, and others, not to use tk. It’s best to be more straightforward and specific. For example, use bullets or boldface zeros (••• or 000) to stand in for page numbers that cannot be determined until a manuscript is paginated as a book (but see CMOS 2.35). For items like missing figures, describe exactly what’s missing. In electronic environments, you have recourse to comment features—like the <!--comment--> syntax of XML and HTML, which allows for descriptive instructions that will not interfere with the final version of a document. Make sure that whatever you do stops the project in its tracks at some point before publication.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. I am editing a history book with three parts. The translator for part 1 and the writer of part 2 are now deceased; part 3
was written by a living person. Do I include birth and death dates on the title page? I also have a separate page beginning
each part. Should the birth and death date be included there also or instead? Should the birth date of the living author (and
editor) be included?
A. One special thing about books is that they are, once published, considered to live on eternally. This condition is reflected
in the use of the “literary present” tense: for example, Vladimir Nabokov published his novel Pnin in 1953; but in that book he writes about a misunderstood Russian émigré. In that spirit, birth and death dates are
almost never added next to authors, editors, or translators on the title pages of books or with bylines to individual essays.
(An exception might be made, for example, for a collection of works by authors from an earlier historical period where birth
and death dates accompanying each article may help to contextualize the pieces). The Library of Congress may include birth
and/or death dates for authors in its cataloging information for a book, which you will want to reproduce faithfully on the
copyright page. And in author biographies (on back covers or near the beginning or end of a book) or lists of contributors
it may be appropriate to include birth and death dates as part of a biographical profile. Such more or less promotional information
is entirely subject to editorial discretion.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. When breaking a URL, can a hard return be used? If not, how should it be done? You give examples of broken URLs, but it is not clear how that is done according to a press’s and printer’s requirements.
A. In manuscripts prepared in a word-processing program for print publication, it’s best not to break URLs. The line breaks in your manuscript will not match the ones in the printed product. Moreover, such characters as hard (nonbreaking) hyphens and optional line breaks (also called discretionary line breaks) inserted using a program like Microsoft Word will likely not convert properly to other software platforms like page-layout or typesetting programs. Just make sure that your publisher and compositor are aware of the rules for breaking URLs (see CMOS 14.18). Whoever composes pages, then, will use discretionary line breaks and nonbreaking hyphens, as necessary, to ensure that URLs break properly at the ends of lines.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. What is the recommended font style to use for manuscripts, books, etc., to make it easier for the reader?
A. For most of the twentieth century, typewriters ensured that manuscripts were typically prepared in a fixed-width typeface
resembling, for example, Courier New. (A typeface is a collection of all the characters—letters, numbers,
etc.—and styles—roman, italic, boldface, etc.—of a given
design of type like Courier New or Caslon; such typefaces are, however, often spoken of as fonts.) Lots of people became used
to reading such typewritten manuscripts. As word processors and computer-generated printouts began to take over, it became
possible to use proportional typefaces like Times New Roman. Today, many word processors can produce type that approaches
the quality of published materials, and fonts like Times New Roman have become dominant. But because some people still prefer
a typewriter-style font, it’s best to ask your publisher. Whatever you choose, avoid overly stylized
fonts, and, if possible, stick to one typeface.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]
Q. What are the guidelines for submitting the manuscript of a book for publication?
A. The Chicago Manual of Style has general guidelines for manuscript preparation. See chapter 2, which includes an extensive discussion of this topic.
But you should check with your publisher for any other requirements specific to that press.
[This answer relies on the 17th edition of CMOS (2017) unless otherwise noted.]