Blogging Tips

Since computers, webpages and blogging is so popular, these days it’s hard to determine what should be underlined or italics. Most bloggers simply use their own preference to show that something stands out and we don’t really think of the rules involved.

“What? You mean there are rules for it?” Yes, there is. These rules were set back in the day of manual typewriters when sending manuscripts and queries off to publishers. Most of these rules still remain in the publishing industry for publishers who still prefer to receive a hardcopy and not an electronic submission like email.

Having software programs that can format our blog pages for us makes it easier on the blogger to use underlining or italics when and where we want. But, there are still rules about when to use italics. I’m going to cover the use of underlining (and italics.) Typewriters didn’t have a way to type words in italics so it was standard form to use underlining. Typewriters did have a key to underline. You would have to type the word and then backspace to the beginning of the word, use the shift key along with the underline key and underline the whole word manually. It’s so much easier these days.

Where it’s indicated that words should be underlined, please remember that underlining is a method to tell the typesetter to italics the word. When sending out printed manuscripts to a publisher, the underlining rule is still in effect to indicate italics. Do not use italics in your manuscript unless the publisher tells you it’s okay. Chances are, he/she will not give approval.

This also affects bloggers too. It is standard that certain words be typed with italics. So we will cover the rules for that.

If it’s typewritten, use underlining to indicate italics.
If it’s on your blog or webpage, use italics.

When should italics be used?

*Titles of books, plays, works of art, magazines, periodicals, movies, television shows and radio programs.

If you mention any of those in your novel or on your blog, they should be set in italics.

Examples, Blog:

King Arthur
The Great Gatsby
Law & Order
Rush Hour
Gone With the Wind
the Mona Lisa

Examples, Typewritten:

King Arthur
The Great Gatsby
Law & Order
Rush Hour
Gone With the Wind
the Mona Lisa

Note: the word “the” is not underlined or italics unless it is part of the title (the Mona Lisa compared to The Great Gatsby.)

Of course, there is an exception to the rule.

*Titles of religious and legal documents are not underlined or italicized.

The Koran, The Bible, The Constitution

*The names of ships, trains, aircraft, and spacecraft should be italics.

Examples, Blog:

the Washingtonian (train)
Voyager (spacecraft)
the Enola Gay (airplane)
the USS Nimitz (ship)

Examples, Typewritten:

the Washingtonian (train)
Voyager (spacecraft)
the Enola Gay (airplane)
the USS Nimitz (ship)

*Use italics to emphasize a word. But remember, if you emphasize too many words in one sentence, the emphasis on any one word is diminished.

Examples, Blog:

Are you going to wear that?
Are you going to the concert?

Examples, Typewritten:

Are you going to wear that?
Are you going to the concert?

*Other uses of italics are for foreign words that have not yet been incorporated into the English language. If the foreign word has been incorporated into the English language it does not need italics.

For cases like this you should check an up-to-date dictionary to see if the word is now considered part of the English language.

Two of the foreign words in my reference book, vino and chalet, are indicated to be italics. In checking with a newer dictionary it appears these words have been incorporated into the English language, so this rule could be tricky—always check a modern dictionary.

Hope this helps clear up how italics should be used on your blog or webpage.