picking, but consistency helps MRH maintain its high standards
and good reputation.
Spell and punctuate company and brand names according to the
guide. Most of these are the shown as the companies actually
use them, but sometimes MRH wants a variation that is easier
to read. One example is X-ACTO, the hobby knife company. It
is spelled with all capital letters and a hyphen, but MRH uses
“X-Acto” because it doesn’t SHOUT at you.
If you run across a brand name that isn’t in the style guide, write it
the way the company does, and MRH editors will decide if it is OK.
Likewise, if you are an expert on a topic and know that a word
or phrase should be used differently than the style guide shows,
drop a note to the editor and tell him. An example might
be a Pullman passenger car. The guide says to use “Pullman
Standard,” but that company didn’t exist until 1934. So, if you’re
writing about a 1928 observation car, “Pullman” is the correct
company name. Kudos to you for knowing that! Tell MRH.
What happens if you don’t quite follow the style guide? MRH has
copy editors who go over all of the articles and correct errors.
But if the article is difficult to read and contains many errors, the
editors will balk. Correcting errors at the last minute is difficult
and time-consuming.
As an author, you are the manufacturer, and MRH is the
customer. If you deliver a sloppy product, MRH might send it
back and ask you to fix it, or you might get paid less because
MRH needs to clean it up. Or worse yet, MRH may simply reject
it. As the customer, we are under no obligation to purchase a
product (your article) was slapped together.
Spend the time and make the effort to deliver a well-written
article. It will benefit everyone.
