Style Guides and Style Manuals: Vital Tools in an Editor’s Toolkit

Presentation and Membership Meeting

In the first part of this quarterly membership meeting, SIG leaders will present news items related to the Technical Editing SIG. Then STC Fellow and SIG member Bette Frick will present “Style Guides and Style Manuals: Vital Tools in an Editor’s Toolkit.”

When: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 from 11:30 am until 12:30 pm, EST.
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Presentation Summary

Editors use style manuals and style guides as a vital tool in their toolkit. In this webinar, Bette Frick will provide an overview of their importance in the editing profession.

This webinar will explore the following issues in style guides:

1. Why use a style manual? Why use a style guide?
2. What published style guides are available for general use?
3. Which specific style guide should you use for your editing?
4. How can you customize your company’s style while still using a published style guide?

All style choices are inherently political. Join us to learn more about your style choices as an editor.

How to Participate

Register for the Webinar: Use the form below to register for the event. Advance registration for this event will be required.


Access the Handouts: Members can access the presentation materials before the event. Visit the file gallery to find the files. Nonmembers can access the materials by following the directions supplied after registration.

Join the Webinar: On the day of the event, follow the instructions that were sent to you by GoToWebinar.



Join the Online Chat: Join the GoToWebinar chat that will be integrated with the webinar.

Access Additional Materials: After the event, members can access the webinar recording and chat transcript in the file gallery. Nonmembers will be provided with these materials.

Speaker Profile

Dr. Elizabeth (Bette) Frick teaches writing and communication to employees of corporations and governments in the Denver Metro area, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Alaska. Her interactive classes and practical workshops help everyone improve communication skills.

Bette holds a PhD in English from the University of Minnesota and served as president of the Twin Cities chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC) from 2003-2004. She is a Fellow of STC. Dr. Frick is also board-certified as a medical editor by the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences and serves as the President of the American Medical Writers Association-Rocky Mountain Chapter (2011-2012). She recently earned the highest Toastmaster award, the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM).

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