Version: July 2020

The standard style guide for all publications is the Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition (CMOS). We assume that once a final manuscript has been submitted, it is complete, carefully edited, and free of spelling and other typographical errors and that it adheres to the CMOS and the following guidelines. Below are some common formatting elements and requirements specific to Sulis International.

General Style Guidelines for all Imprints

(If author/editor prefers a standard style guide common to the field of the subject matter, i.e., the Blue Book or Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities for works in law), or, if an author wishes to use a subset of the Chicago Manual, such as the SBL Handbook of Style, discuss this with your editor. In every case, all manuscripts should be edited carefully to follow that guide consistently.)

File Guidelines

  1. PDF Microsoft Word or Apple Pages document. Use the paragraph styles as described below.
  2. One file for the manuscript (front matter, main body, back matter).
  3. Any tables, graphics or images should be supplied separately as high-resolution JPG (between 300–600dpi or PDF vector) files.
  4. Use PDF for tables and graphics
  5. Any images and photos must be 300 dpi in JPG format (High Quality)..
  6. Place image or chart in the text where it is to be located; alternatively, type “++insert here” and the file name of the corresponding file, then “++” at the close of the line. (example: ++insert table “figure 1.pdf” here++)
  7. It is the author’s responsibility to check all quotations and references for accuracy

General Style Elements

  • Page numbers, footers, and headers are unnecessary.
  • Insert a Page Break before each chapter.
  • Use Times or Times New Roman 12 point.
  • Assign headings and subheadings to Word styles (see below under “Main Body”).
  • The main text and footnotes should be single-spaced text.
  • One space after punctuation, not two.
  • Use italics for emphasis, rather than underlines, bold text, or all caps to emphasize words or phrases.
  • There should be no tabs in the text. First-line paragraph indents should employ the document ruler “first line indent” option.

– Use a block quote style for poetry or other offset text (see below under “Main Body.”
– Use Word’s numbering or bullet function for lists.
– Use italics for emphasis, rather than underlines or bold text to emphasize words or phrases. 

  • n-dashes between numbers, verses, and dates (45–46; 4:5–6; 1991–1995)
  • m-dashes between phrases instead of double dashes, without a space on either side (“he was small—diminutive, really—but fierce”).
  • Oxford commas (serial commas): “we had eggs, bagels, and bacon.”
  • Ellipses should be input with the ellipses character, not three periods, without a space on either side (“It was not…pretty.”).
  • Whole numbers from one through one hundred, round numbers, and numbers that begin a sentence should be spelled out, except for chapter numbers.
  • Foreign words should be in italics, except in the case of non-Arabic font has been used (Greek, Hebrew, etc.).
  • Spelling and punctuation may follow American or British English norms depending on the author and target audience but must stay consistent throughout.

Footnotes & References

Sulis prefers footnotes at the bottom of the page where the reference occurs. Use a short-form footnote citation with a comprehensive bibliography.

Jones, The Book, 113).

The bibliography should follow the Chicago Manual of Style (or another style guide for the specific subject matter).
An exception for short-form can be made for collections of essays, where the first footnote contains the entire bibliographic entry:

John Jones, The Book(Hollywood: Best Press, 1995), 34-45.

Subsequent references should use the short form.
For more on the bibliographic format and footnoting style, with examples, see this link for the Chicago Manual of Style.

Document Formatting

Front Matter

Include the following items (bolded items are required; the rest are optional or as needed). No special formatting is necessary.

  1. Title of the book. No special formatting required.
  2. Author name as you wish it to appear.
  3. Copyright notices for any permissions required.
  4. Dedication
  5. Any Preface, Foreward, Acknowledgements, List of Abbreviation.

Main Body

  1. Chapter headings. Assign to Word/Pages Heading 1 style. Subheadings should be assigned to Heading 2 style, and so forth.
  2. Paragraphs 

 1. Indent the first line of each paragraph .5″ (use Word/Pages ruler or a style sheet, not tabs or spaces). 2. Do not put spaces or returns between paragraphs. 

  1. Block Quotations. Create a Word/Pages style called “Block Quote” with the left and right margins indented (.75 to 1″). Assign this style to all block quotations.
  2. Between scene changes in a paragraph, make sure to put an asterisk. Don’t just leave a blank line,
  3. Abstracts. No more than 200 words, single paragraph, with no footnotes

Back Matter

  • Include a brief biography of the author(s), 300 words or less. No special formatting required.

The following items are optional:

  1. Index, appendices, and bibliographies, as needed. Format according to the Chicago Manual of Style (or other Style Guide as appropriate).
  2. Indexes should be prepared ahead of time and included in the final submitted document. Sulis will provide galley proofs for the author to update page numbers as the last step before final formatting and publication. Alternatively, Sulis can hire someone to compile an index based on words you supply. Check with your editor for costs.