Style guides are essential aids for writers and editors who produce publications and online help projects—but does a style guide cover everything you need? Probably not.

Many writers and editors swear by a style guide, like the Chicago Manual, or the AP Style guide, when organizing, editing and writing publications. The Microsoft style manual is very helpful in technical writing and editing. Many corporations adapt elements of these to produce their own, distinctive style guides.
But a style guide doesn't do everything you need as you plan, create and manage a publication or help project. That's why you may need more comprehensive publication guidelines.

Why write publication guidelines?
Publication guidelines, like a style guide, can save time, money and hassles for writers and editors over the long term. But in contrast to style guides, they're a comprehensive solution that documents all aspects of a publication or project that someone will need to maintain and update it.
They can help future contributors and others taking over, or updating a publication—especially if the new writers don't have expertise in help authoring, publication management or other editorial tasks.

Publication guidelines are especially helpful when contractors know they will pass along a project to an in-house documentation team—or, what's probably a worse situation—to the developers. They are invaluable to contributors if the project must be turned over before it's finished. They save money over the long run because editors and writers don't have to reinvent the wheel and spend extra time duplicating research. They also make it easier to organize publications, because they can include items outside the scope of a style guide.

How can you save money and headaches on your publications?
For more details on how to create comprehensive publication guidelines, visit my Communication & Creativity blog entry on publication guidelines at http://timmantyla.wordpress.com/2008/07/08/publication-guidelines-are-more-useful-than-a-style-guide.

They can streamline your company's communications and save you headaches down the road.