Common Sense Stylebook
for Public Relations Writers

Excerpted from Becoming a Public Relations Writer, R.D. Smith, (Routledge/Taylor & Francis, 3rd edition, 2008)

A stylebook should help writers use the language in ways that are natural, smooth and consistent. Following are guidelines for various public relations writing purposes. They deal with aspects of language that students have identified as needing clarification and order.

The style suggestions are consistent with The Associated Press Stylebook, the most widely used stylebook for journalistic writing. Thus public relations writers will find this Common Sense Stylebook useful in preparing news releases and other writing for newspapers and magazines. Writing for internal media such as newsletters and brochures sometimes calls for a styleistic practice that may be different from that used for public media. Nevertheless writers need to be consistent in style. This Common Sense Stylebook therefore includes guidelines about stylistic options appropriate for internal media.

For more complete references, consult authoritative guides such as The Associated Press Stylebook, Webster's New World College Dictionary (Fourth Edition), Webster's Third New International Dictionary, and National Geographic Atlas of the World.