Over the years numerous clients have asked me to help them develop a style of English that would match the specific character of their company or organisation. Sometimes that involved drafting a style sheet that could evolve over the years. In other cases it has meant creating a comprehensive style guide to be used by all of the organisation’s contributing writers and editors. Style sheets and style guides help streamline the processes of both writing and editing. As such, they can substantially reduce editing costs. They also help ensure that an organisation’s written communication will be polished and consistent.
For an international company based in Switzerland I carried out a large-scale benchmark study, comparing the style of my client’s own texts with those of six other companies that cater to the same, highly specific segment. In a subsequent assignment I helped the same firm develop a comprehensive, bespoke style guide based on ‘Mid-Atlantic’ English.
Could a customised style guide be of value to your company?
Johnston Text & Training 