So you are writing a book title, and you wonder if you should put it in italics or quotations marks. What about a newspaper article? Yes, there are rules and they are not difficult. In general, big things go in italics, and parts of things go in quotation marks. If you are writing by hand (does anyone even do that anymore??), you can’t do italics (no, really you can’t), so you underline instead.
The following things should be in italics or underlined (please, not both!):
Book titles, magazine titles, newspaper names, movie titles, TV show titles, CD titles, pieces of art, operas, play titles, and even boats and airplanes (if you happen to give your boat or plane a name).
The following things should be in quotation marks: (These should be double quotes, not single, unless you are quoting something within something already in quotes).
Chapter titles, articles in magazines and newspapers, TV episode titles, song titles, arias in operas, and any names of scenes or acts in a play.
Next question: Which words are capitalized in titles, anyway? Next blog post!
I was reminded of this thread when I came across a question in this week’s Ken Jennings’ Tuesday Trivia (good fun at http://www.ken-jennings.com).
It was: “2. The Holy or the Broken is a 2012 book about the history of what song, originally written in 1984 but better known in a series of more recent cover versions?”
I don’t know the book, but the question, without setting the title apart, verges on the confusion caused by the great “eats, shoots and leaves.”
You’re right! Pretty confusing!
I have always set book titles apart with underlining or quotes.
I am afraid that this practice is quickly becoming a thing of the past with a majority of newspapers and magazines simply using the capitals that come with the title.
This may come from the blogosphere where no constraints or tradtions are regularly observed.
Book titles should be italicized. I have seen them quoted in newspapers (incorrect). I would rather be right than modern!
My handwriting is bad enough without trying to write italics,
I’ll try to find some examples of leaving any designator off.
Don’t worry — you can’t write italics. If you aren’t typing, you simply underline instead of italicizing.
I agree about being right rather than modern, Ms Qixote.
I my first post here, I mentioned I read about you and this website in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
In Sunday’s book section I was amused to find all the books’ titles in quotation marks.
Go gettem, Ms Diva!
I’m not surprised. I think someone has to tell them about it!
If you told me back in college that someday I’d long for a courses in grammar, I would have thought you were insane. But here I am, eagerly awaiting your posts and wishing for more! Here’s a question. A writer I know is including the name of a boat in her story. She wrote: “We called it “the Wild Orange.” I know to put “Wild Orange” in italics, but what about “the”? Is it part of the title ( If so, it would be capitalized and italicized, right?) But I’m thinking that if I saw the name on the boat itself, it would just say “Wild Orange.” Soooo, dear diva, what do you think?
Well, since she named the boat, I guess she can include The or not include it! I guess it depends what name she has painted on it! It could be really either one. If she has The Wild Orange painted on it, then everything is initial capped and in italics. If they just named the boat and didn’t put the name on the boat, I guess you would have to ask her what the actual name is. I could see it either way. I am glad you like the posts! I teach a five week course at College of Marin that has all this glorious stuff in it. The next one will the in the fall.Finishing up one tonight and then taking the summer off (from College of Marin, anyway!)
Thanks Arlene. I knew most of these rule applications, but I still feel strange with the quote within a quote. As a reader that grammar rule makes sense. As a writer, I feel like I am attempting a headstand hatha yoga pose. That’s why I love good grammarians, copy editors and attentive readers.
Yeah — you can always rewrite to avoid a quote within a quote. Rewriting is a good way to avoid some sticky grammatical situations!
Arlene
So how do you do this in an email, where you may not be able to italicize, or underline, or bold?
In emails, I often use quotes around a book title, just to set it apart.
Really good question! I get annoyed when I cannot use italics!Why don’t they design programs for good grammarians! Seriously, I know most people just put quotes around things when there is no way to italicize or underline. I tend to just leave it and do nothing. I feel as if it looks incorrect if I am quoting something that shouldn’t be in quotes. I don’t know if there is any standard on this.