How to create an in-house style guide

Writing a style guide for your organization is an important yet not always urgent activity that is often pushed to the bottom of your to-do list. Your in-house style may currently exist through a hodgepodge of emails, an abandoned Word document and the brain of that one persnickety writer on your team who always reminds you that no matter what the AP style guide says, you do use the serial comma.

But it’s time to make time to get your style guide organized.

For those outside your organization, a style guide demonstrates consistency and professionalism. Even if they don’t consciously note that you always uppercase the word “Guest” in your copy, a consistent style gives a slick, polished air to your writing.

Inside your organization, having a style guide gives your writers a sense of confidence in what they’re doing. They don’t have to guess at your common linguistic foibles, but have easy answers close at hand. It also saves time on internal editing when team members understand expectations and can engage in self-editing.

Here’s how to go about creating an in-house writing style guide for your team quickly and easily.