Editing Tips

by Mary Embree

Quotations & Punctuation Marks

How to use quotations within quotations and punctuation with quotation marks can be confusing. But here are some generally accepted rules.

Double quotation marks are used in text to enclose quoted words, phrases, and sentences. Single quotation marks are used for quotations within quotations. And quotations within those single quotation marks should be double quotation marks again. Here’s an example from The Chicago Manual of Style:

“Don’t be absurd!” said Henry. “To say that ‘I mean what I say’ is the same as ‘I say what I mean’ is to be as confused as Alice at the Mad Hatter’s tea party. You remember what the Hatter said to her: ‘Not the same thing a bit! Why you might just as well say that “I see what I eat” is the same thing as “I eat what I see”!’”

The ending punctuation is placed according to the person to whom it belongs. The placement of the punctuation in the first quotation above is obvious. As Henry is the one who said “Don’t be absurd!” the exclamation point goes within the marks. In the last quotation of the example: “I eat what I see”!’” the exclamation point belongs to the Mad Hatter’s speech and goes within the single quotation mark. Henry is quoting the Mad Hatter who is quoting what someone might say.

Commas and periods always come before a close quote. Colons, exclamation points, and question marks are usually placed inside quotation marks. For example:

Peggy Lee’s hit song was called “Is That All There Is?”

Only rarely is the quotation mark placed before the ending punctuation.

Who was called “the voice”?

Semicolons should be placed outside quotation marks.

I agree with William Faulkner who said, “Really, the writer doesn’t want success”; when the day comes that I must “pass through that wall of oblivion” I’ll be content just to “leave a scratch on that wall.”

Resource List

Guide to Literary Agents, Writer’s Digest Books. Published annually

Literary Market Place, R.R. Bowker, A Reed Reference Publishing Co. Published annually

The Insider’s Guide to Book Editors, Publishers & Literary Agents, by Jeff Herman, published by Prima Communications

Literary Agents: A Writer’s Guide, published by Poets & Writers

Literary Agents of North America, by Arthur Orrmont, published by Author Aid and Research Associates International. 340 E. 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022; phone (212) 758-4213. Listings of over 650 agents, their interests and charges

Writer’s Guide to Hollywood Producers, Directors and Screenwriter’s Agents, by Skip Press, Prima Publishing, 3875 Atherton Road, Rocklin, CA 95765-3716; phone (916) 632-4400

Writer’s Market, Where & How to Sell What You Write, Writer’s Digest Books. Published annually

The Writer’s Handbook, (110 Chapters on How to Write; 3200 Markets for Manuscripts) edited by Sylvia K. Burack; published by The Writer Inc. Published annually

Books in Print and Forthcoming Books, published by R.R. Bowker & Co.

How to Get Happily Published: A Complete and Candid Guide (Fifth Edition) by Judith Appelbaum; published by Harper Perennial

How to Market You and Your Book by Richard F.X. O’Connor; published by O’Connor House

How to Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen; Writer’s Digest Books

Write the Perfect Book Proposal; 10 Proposals that Sold and Why by Jeff Herman and Deborah M. Adams; published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The American Directory of Writer’s Guidelines: What Editors Want, What Editors Buy compiled and edited by John C. Mutchler; Quill Driver Books

The Portable Writers’ Conference: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Published, Edited by Stephen Blake Mettee, Quill Driver Books. (To order, call 1-800-497-4909)

Publishers Weekly (The International News Magazine of Book Publishing and Bookselling) A Cahners/R.R. Bowker Publication

Writer’s Digest, monthly magazine

Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR), 3rd floor, 10 Astor Place, New York, NY 10003. Send $7 and SAE with 55 cents for postage for a list of member agents

Independent Literary Agents Association (ILAA), 55 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003. Ask for a list of their members

National Writers Union, 873 Broadway, Suite 203, New York, NY 10003-1209. (212) 254-0279. A trade union; offers an agent database to members

Writers Guild of America-East, 555 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. (212) 767-7800. Provides list of WGA signatory agents for $1.29

Writers Guild of America-West, 8955 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90048. (213) 550-1000. Provides a list of WGA signatory agents for $2 and SASE sent to Agency Department

Publishers Marketing Association (PMA) is a trade association representing independent publishers. They offer their $80 membership to SPAWN members for only $54. 627 Aviation Way, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266; 310/372-2732; fax: 310/374-3342; Email: PMAOnline@aol.com.

Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN) also a trade association, offers discounts on shipping and access to Visa and MasterCard merchant status. Their membership fee of $90 is only $60 for SPAWN members. P.O. Box 1306-NRL, Buena Vista, CO 81211. Email SPANnet.org.