RULES FOR STYLE
Consistency is a highly desirable virtue in setting anything in type. So far as possible we try to have all the Little Blue Books conform to one typographical style—but the colossal number of 1,400—soon, 1,500—different titles has made for a certain inconsistency that could not be avoided.
By consistency here, I mean spelling the same word the same way throughout the manuscript; if possible, throughout the entire series of Little Blue Books. I mean a consistent policy of capitalization, hyphenating, punctuation, and so on.
Use care in preparing your manuscript. Spell your words correctly. Do not blunder ahead in the notion that the editor or the proofreaders will be glad to correct your misspelled words, dress up your awkward sentences, and put in your missing commas. Train yourself to spell correctly, to write clearly and smoothly, to punctuate for the easy reading of your work. Such training can do nothing except speed your success as a writer. To ignore these matters may handicap your manuscript; better craftsmen than you will get work to do that might have been yours had you been more conscientious.
The standard of spelling and hyphenating in the Little Blue Books is Webster’s New International Dictionary. In general, words like theater, center, reconnoiter, and the like, are spelled with a final -er (instead of -re). Words like honor, color, valor, etc., are spelled with a final -or (instead of -our). Wherever two spellings are permissible (as recorded in the dictionary), the spelling given first (as preferable) by Webster’s New International is the one to be used. Words like traveler, traveling, and traveled are spelled with a single l, etc.; the rule here is that if a word (like travel) ends in a single consonant following a vowel, derivative forms do not double the consonant unless the syllable containing that consonant is accented. Thus, when traveling is formed from travel, the consonant l is not doubled because that syllable is not accented (the accent falls on trav-). But when occurring is formed from occur, the consonant r is doubled because the accent falls on -cur. So also in the other derivatives: occurred, occurrence, etc.
As to capitalization, aside from the usual rules for the first word in every sentence, etc., all proper names are of course capitalized. The names of the seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) are spelled with a small letter. In place names such as Grand Avenue, Brown Street, Mississippi River, etc., the common noun is capitalized as an integral part of the place name (not Grand avenue, Brown street, Mississippi river, etc.). The word Negro is always capitalized in all Haldeman-Julius Publications. As a rule, atheist, agnostic, freethought, and similar words, are not capitalized.
In hyphenating words (compound words) follow Webster’s New International Dictionary with this exception: divisions of time such as today, tomorrow, and tonight are spelled without a hyphen.
In punctuation considerable latitude is allowed. The general rule is one of common sense—punctuate according to the sense of your writing, to make it easy for the reader to grasp your meaning, and to avoid any possible ambiguity. Never use more than one exclamation mark or interrogation point after a single sentence. Put periods and commas always inside of quotation marks; colons and semicolons always outside of quotation marks. Put exclamation or interrogation marks inside of the quotation marks if they belong with the quotation, but outside if they do not belong with the quotation. For example, “Shoot him!” The exclamation is inside the quotation marks because it belong with the quoted words. But, “The word he used was ‘ain’t’!” Here the exclamation belongs with the entire sentence (not with the word ain’t alone), so it is placed outside.
Accent marks are kept over letters in words from foreign languages—as the acute, grave, and circumflex accents in French words. These should be indicated in your manuscript. You can write them in with ink, since the characters are not on most typewriters.
In general, the principles set forth in Little Blue Books of grammar, punctuation, and spelling (Little Blue Books Nos. 681, 682, 683), are fairly safe guides for Little Blue Book manuscript style. If the prospective Little Blue Book writer follows these books rather closely, he will never go far astray.
It is seen that the matter of style in Haldeman-Julius Publications is not at all extreme or individual. The standard is fairly universal, and though it may differ in minor points, the writer cannot make any great mistake in accustoming himself to these fundamental rules for spelling, punctuation, and so on.
One Last Important Word: Always be sure that your name and address are clearly typed in the upper left-hand corner of the first page of your manuscript. Do not forget your name and address. This is vitally important.