Verblio — like all other publishing platforms and journalism outlets — has its writers follows the Associated Press Stylebook, but there are some exceptions and nuances designed to prioritize user-friendly, web-focused best practices rather than journalistic best practices.
Acronyms and Abbreviations
If a general audience reader may not recognize an acronym or abbreviation, write out the full version the first time you use it, with the acronym or abbreviation in parentheses following it. Use the shorthand version for all references after that.
Contractions
Be consistent throughout the content (i.e., if you say “can’t,” don’t say “cannot” in the same article).
In light-hearted, conversational content, use contractions.
Numbers
Spell out whole numbers below 10, except when used in an address. Use figures for numbers 10 and above, except if it is the first word in the sentence.
Spell out first through ninth. Use figures for 10th and above.
Punctuation
Ampersands
Do not replace the word “and” with an ampersand, unless the ampersand is part of a proper noun (e.g. M&Ms).
Commas
Use serial/Oxford commas when creating a list.
When using quotation marks, put the comma inside the quotation marks.
Em dashes
Use an em dash without spaces on either side.
Do not use a hyphen (-) or two hyphens (--) when it should be an em dash (—).
Exclamation Points
The content’s desired tone impacts whether or not exclamation points are acceptable.
Do not use exclamation points if the customer selected “corporate” as their desired tone.
For light-hearted articles, use exclamation points strategically. Avoid consecutive exclamation points (!!).
Periods
Use only one space after a period.
When using quotation marks, put the period inside the quotation marks.