About
Pamphlets
Publication Guidelines
The Unitarian Universalist Association generally publishes between two
and four new pamphlets each year. These pamphlets are designed to convey
information and ideas about particular aspects of Unitarian Universalism
and to encourage readers to explore the topic further.
Letters of inquiry about a proposal for a new pamphlet should be sent
to Judith Frediani, UUA, 25
Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108. The letter should briefly describe the purpose
and proposed content. A short sample of writing on the topic is also helpful.
Suggestions on writers and editors are welcome.
The primary customer of pamphlets is the congregation ordering bulk copies
for educational or general interest purposes. With some exceptions, UUA
pamphlets are sold in packets of 25. Assortments are also available, with
combined titles of 5 copies each.
The typical reader of pamphlets is either (1) a newcomer with little
knowledge of Unitarian Universalism, its practices, history, and values,
or (2) a more experienced member who seeks an introduction to, or a concise
review of, one aspect of Unitarian Universalism. Pamphlets are usually printed on both sides of letter or legal size sheets. The text is usually between
1200-1500 words. Most pamphlets conclude with a short bibliography, called
"Further Reading."
Generally, a new pamphlet takes about one year to develop. The pamphlet's
author or editor is responsible for securing necessary permissions to
quote the work of others. Pamphlet
authors receive a modest honorarium for the work, which
is owned and copyrighted by the UUA.
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Capitalization
Some words or phrases should be capitalized when used to describe something
specific but not when used in a general sense.
- conferences/meetings: Capitalize "DRUUMM Youth of Color Conference"
or "General Assembly," but not "a conference on religious education."
- departments: Capitalize "Department of Religious Education," but not
"program department."
- committees: Capitalize "the Religious Education Committee" but not
"a religious education committee." Note: okay to capitalize when using
shorthand for official name. For example, if the paragraph is all about
the Board of Trustees, okay to abbreviate as "the Board."
- God/god: Capitalize "God" when referring to the Judeo/Christian deity,
but not "a god."
- job titles: Capitalize when using a person's title as a part of their
name, i.e. "Mary Benard, Editor," but not when describing the position
generally, i.e. "Mary Benard, the editor at the UUA."
- Capitalize the following when referring to the official UU statements:
Principles
Purposes
Sources
(Note: Do not capitalize numbers with these words, i.e. "seven Principles"
or "the first Principle.")
- Capitalize theological positions common in Unitarian Universalism,
such as "Transcendentalist," "Humanist," "Pagan," "Theist," "Atheist,"
and "Deist."
- Do not capitalize "scripture."
Abbreviations
Consider use of UU abbreviations on a case-by-case basis. It may be appropriate
for pamphlets that are intended for UUs to use "insider" abbreviations,
such as "CLF," "GA," or "UUMA," but introductory pamphlets should avoid
abbreviations that newcomers won't understand. However, some general rules:
- "UU" okay as adjective or noun, but not "UUism." Spell out "Unitarian
Universalism."
- "Rev." okay in bylines or lists, but "the Reverend" should be used
within text.
- Two-letter state abbreviations, e.g. "MA," okay in bylines, lists,
or bibliographic information, but spell out states within text.
- Digits okay for numbers from one to ten and multiples of one hundred,
but all others should be spelled out. Always spell out a number if it
is the first word in a sentence or part of a church name.
- Spell out academic degrees unless given as part of a person's name.
"Mary Benard, Ph.D." but "Mary Benard has earned a doctorate."
Punctuation
- Serial comma
- Avoid excessive use of exclamation points, em dashes, or ellipses.
- Don't put periods in UU abbreviations, i.e. "RE," not "R.E."
Usage
- OBGLTC prefers that "bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender" be placed
in alphabetical order when listed, in order to avoid implying priority.
- OBGLTC prefers that we use "his/her" and "she/he" rather than "his
or her" and "she and he," in order to suggest that gender is not absolutely
binary.
- Use "BCE" and "CE" rather than "BC" and "AD."
- Use "Hebrew scripture" rather than "Old Testament." Use "Christian
scripture" rather than "New Testament."
- Use "congregation" instead of "church."
Bibliographic Information
- Follow Chicago style, e.g. Benard, Mary. Pamphlet Stylesheet. Boston:
UUA, 2000.
- Don't include out-of-print materials.
Miscellaneous
- website (per consultation with Deb Weiner)
- Change British spelling to American.
- Use New Revised Version for biblical quotes unless specifically instructed
otherwise.
- Italicize foreign words.
IN GENERAL, FOLLOW THE CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE UNLESS SPECIFIED OTHERWISE
HERE.
Writing Tips
- Verbs should appear in the "active voice" unless the passive voice
is absolutely necessary. The active voice forces you to create more
efficient and interesting sentences, while the passive voice robs the
action you describe of its immediacy, and requires wordier sentences.
"It was hoped by Jesus that love would abound," gains energy in the
active voice: "Jesus hoped that love would abound." Try to use the passive
voice only when the "subject" of your sentence is unknown.
- Minimize use of the verbs "to be" and "to have" in any of their tenses.
"Is," "was," "has been," "had been," "will be," "will have been," "has,"
"had," and "will have" offer no precise information or action and result
in flat, stagnant prose. Try to find an active verb. For example, "Habitual
meditation will have the effect of making us better people." One might
say instead, "Habitual meditation will make us better people."
- Use empty intensifiers sparingly. "Truly," "incredibly," "very," "delightful,"
"wonderful," "terrific," and similar expressions of emotional agitation
offer nothing for your reader to get excited about. Find more precise
language.
- Vary your sentences in structure and length. You can write more interesting
prose by varying the way in which you begin your sentences, e.g., use
a prepositional phrase ("In my moment of panic, ..."), a subordinate
clause ("When the steeple tumbled down, ...") or a participial phrase
("Standing by the ineffectual microphone..."). Such variations will
almost automatically result in varied sentence lengths as well.
- Keep your focus on your subject, not on yourself. If you describe
your subject and refrain as much as possible from describing your reaction
to your subject, you allow your listeners to imagine themselves in the
presence of what you are describing. Instead of, "I was deeply moved
when the waves crashed," you may want to say, "The waves crashed, thundering,
foam flying through the air.") Be careful of your metaphors and common
turns of phrase. When you use metaphors such as, "beat a dead horse,"
"keep your eyes peeled," "bit his head off," "blood bath," etc., some
readers will imagine the picture all too vividly. When you say you were
"literally blown away," you have told your readers that the wind actually
picked you up and whisked you off.
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Requesting
Reproduction Permission Guidelines
If you wish to reproduce any
material, such as hymns or excerpts from pamphlets or books, published
by the UUA or Skinner House Books, please use the following guidelines
to expedite the permissions process. Allow us at least one week to respond
to your request.
1. Identify precisely which
material you would like to reproduce:
a. For a hymn or reading
from Singing the Living Tradition provide the title and number, and
in the case of a hymn, indicate whether you intend to use the words,
music, or both (many hymns have more than one copyright holder).
b. For an excerpt from a
larger work, such as a pamphlet or book, please provide the title, author,
and publication date (to identify which edition or printing), and indicate
the page numbers you wish to use. If you can send a photocopy of the
pages or paragraphs in question that would be very helpful.
2. Indicate how many copies
you intend to make.
3.Indicate for what purpose
you would like to reproduce the material (for example, "I would like to
use the hymn in my wedding service and distribute copies to the congregation").
4.Indicate whether you intend
to sell a product that includes our material.
a. If so, what is the price
of your product?
b. Do you intend to realize
a profit?
Please send your request by
mail, fax, or email to:
Mary Benard
UUA Publications
25 Beacon St.
Boston, MA 02108
Fax: 617-742-7025
Email: mbenard@uua.org
We will either respond to
your request (if the UUA holds the copyright), or else refer you to the
copyright holder, providing contact information when available.
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