Some AP Style Basics

In a nutshell: The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook has been around since the 1950s and is the definitive guide for journalists in the U.S. In addition to journalists, it's used by marketing agencies, PR firms, and educational institutions, among others.

Whether you're looking for a company-wide or blog style, you have a job that requires writing or editing in AP, or you just need a refresher, this will do ya. So, let's get on with it.

1.) Nix that serial (Oxford) comma: 

• Red, white and blue are Hee Jeong’s favorite colors
• Henrietta loves cockatiels, pandas, manatees and capybaras
• Bodhi doesn't have patience for the garbage disposal, the school bus or his puppy's incessant barking

2.) When title capitalizing, prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters get capitalized: 

• Problems With Your Water Heater?
• The After-Party Is After the Party
• Scientists Believe the Sun Was Sucked Into a Black Hole

3.) Numbers under 10 are spelled out; numbers over 10 are written as numerals; and “million” and “billion” are always written out but used with numerals (note: there are loads of exceptions):

• We only have five minutes to talk
• The retailer did $1.6 million in sales last year
• The Patels harvested 37 ears of corn this fall

And so much more. Literally enough for an entire stylebook. To stay in the know about AP—and to email queries directly to the editor—nothing beats a subscription to the site.