The venerable, time-tested guide to style, usage, and grammar—an indispensable reference informing the editorial canon with sound, definitive advice. Now in its 18th edition! More than 1.75 million copies sold!
Much has happened in the years since the publication of the seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. The world has transformed, and the Manual has risen to meet the moment. The eighteenth edition of this classic guide for writers, editors, and publishers is the most extensive revision in two decades.
Every chapter has been reexamined with diversity and accessibility in mind, and major changes include updated and expanded coverage of pronoun use and inclusive language, revised guidelines on capitalization, a broader range of examples, new coverage of Indigenous languages, and expanded advice on making publications accessible to people with disabilities. The Manual's traditional focus on nonfiction has been expanded to include fiction and other creative genres in coverage of topics such as punctuation and dialogue, and the needs of self-published authors receive wider attention.
The citation chapters have been thoroughly reorganized for the benefit of new and experienced users alike, and the key concepts for editing mathematics have been integrated into the chapters where they will be most useful to generalists. Evolving technologies—from open-access publishing models to AI—are covered throughout. And naturally, there are some well-considered updates to familiar rules, including changes intended to align the Manual's recommendations more closely with real-world usage.
As with every new edition, devotees of the Manual will find much to discover and ponder.
About the Author :
The University of Chicago Press Editorial Staff represents the collective judgment of Press editors past and present, going back to 1892.
Review :
“A vital reference for every book and magazine editor . . . the 18th edition [of Chicago] embraces our times, while standing firm on certain fundamental ground rules . . . [Chicago’s] rules are meant not only for those of us who write and edit for a living but for anyone who writes and edits, which is to say everyone.”
“Citation is hard. How do you cite a dream? How do you cite dance? A musical performance? A piece of a painting? A map? A place in the sky? A thought? The eureka moment in an experiment? A memory? Or someone else’s fantasy? Applying the same apparatus to the posts and tweets and sounds and videos we all now routinely share will take some doing. We’re still working it out. Meanwhile, venerable, time-tested, and indispensable—we can thank our lucky stars for the work they do at Chicago.”
“As always, the editors are sensitive to contemporary issues in publishing. They provide information on citing AI-generated prose or images and extended advice on the relation between AI and copyright. They devote ample detail to the styling of screen names and memes and to making hyperlinked text work. Inclusive language receives a good deal of attention in the main text and a new section. . . I personally celebrate lots of sensible advice: Use the generic singular they if you wish, initial-cap a full sentence following a colon, feel free to begin a sentence with a year in numerical format, and omit the location when citing books.”
“Chicago isn’t merely a guide . . . it’s like having a very smart and constantly accessible friend.”
“The New Chicago’s Here! The New Chicago’s Here! After years of waiting, the 18th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style is here, and it brings some big changes. . . Inside, you’ll find new guidance on inclusive language, electronic publishing, self-publishing, editing fiction, AI, new media, and more. Check it out!”
“I don’t mean to brag, but I am probably the only person on the planet who has taken The Chicago Manual of Style to all fifty U.S. states. I have hauled it onto airplanes, down the streets of multiple major metropolitan areas, onto beaches, and even up the side of a mountain in Alaska. I have a traveling pop-up grammar advice stand, called the Grammar Table, which I sit at in public places in order to answer the grammar questions of passersby. I like to have reference materials on the table in order to model the looking-things-up lifestyle I lead, and Chicago is part of that lifestyle. With my extra time, I salute this book!”
“Beyond its exhaustive regulations, the Manual provides practical guidance on matters ranging from manuscript preparation to copyright and ethical issues. It acts as a guiding light through the opaque waters of publishing. In essence, The Chicago Manual of Style is the quintessential reference for anyone committed to the serious craft and art of writing and editing.”
“The Chicago editor has all the time in the world to convert hyphens to en dashes. Unencumbered by daily deadlines, they breathe as easy as words on either side do with the extra room that the en dash grants them. Readers also feel that airiness and relief. They relax. They absorb. They process. They enjoy. Who’s got time for all that?”
“In high school, I read an anthology called The Voice That Is Great Within Us: American Poetry of the Twentieth Century straight through from beginning to end. Chicago reminds me of that book—it’s nothing less than a poetry anthology, one you can read in sequence or dip into at your pleasure. Yes, of course I use it as a reference book. But isn’t its purpose to help editors free the voice that is great within every author?”
"The newest version of CMOS helpfully addresses topics that have become relevant since the publishing of CMOS 17, including updated standards for inclusivity and accessibility and information on handling internet culture, such as emojis and memes."
“It's always an event when we open a new edition of a style guide. The big event of April 2024 was the release of the 18th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. The publisher promotes CMOS 18 as “the most extensive revision in a generation” (p. xi). Indeed, this edition is heavier than CMOS 17, and I’m still finding something new or changed every time I open the book. . . As always, the editors are sensitive to contemporary issues in publishing. They provide information on citing AI-generated prose or images and extended advice on the relation between AI and copyright. They devote ample detail to the styling of screen names and memes and to making hyperlinked text work. Inclusive language receives a good deal of attention in the main text and a new section in the “Bibliography of Additional Resources.” A welcome addition is moderate attention to fiction writing; for example, we now have suggestions for using abbreviations in dialogue.”
