Yogatrōpic should always be capitalized and have a macron (the overline) on the “o.” You can usually find the macron in the “Insert Symbol” or “Insert Special Character” list in your word processing software. As long as it is clear that you are referring to the site, it is fine to use “YT” instead, (e.g., “YT readers agree that…”).
Always begin a new sentence only one space after a period.
If you like to use dashes, please read up here and here on which to use and when. Em Dashes should look like this “—,” not “- -.” For a Mac: option+shift+ – dash. For a PC: three short dashes in row (—) with no spaces between dashes and no space before or after the dash (“Stop—Hammertime!”)
Numbers greater than nine should be written numerically (10, 205, 71), and those less than 10 should be spelled out (three, seven). The only exception is when a bigger number is the first word in a sentence (“Forty years ago, everything changed.”)
Always use the Oxford comma: “Apples, pears, and oranges,” instead of “apples, pears and oranges.”
The Latin shorthand “e.g.” is used to mean “for example,” and “i.e.” is used to mean “that is.” Please only use these inside parentheses—otherwise, just say “for example,” or “that is.” The Latin phrase “per se” means “in itself,” so please don’t use it unless that is what you mean to say.
Italicize publication, movie, and album titles.
Credit a quote like so: Between two evils, I generally like to pick the one I never tried before. ~ Mae West, Klondike Annie
Unless they are common knowledge, italicize and define non-english words and phrases the first time you use them. For example, karma and je ne sais quoi are fine as is, but drishti, or yogic gaze point, should be italicized and defined like so.
Spell out the names of states (e.g., New York instead of NY).
If you really want to emphasize something, use italics rather than bold. Please use them sparingly, though—they start to lose meaning otherwise.
Watch out for obscure antecedent, otherwise known as vague pronoun usage. For example, if you say, “Jimmy and his father were walking on the beach and he tied his shoe,” you haven’t made clear who tied whose shoe.
You do not need to adhere rigidly to a particular writing manual format. If you prefer to use one, please use APA. The only time when using APA is mandatory is for research citations, which you must include if you are referencing research of any kind. In other words, please (please please) do not say “Studies show x, y, and z,” unless you are prepared to cite the studies (in APA format). If you have only one source, a reference at the bottom of your article is sufficient. If you have more than one source, please add in-text citations as well.
When referencing something non-scientific or non-research related, it is fine to use a link instead of a formal citation.
You are encouraged to write in first person, but third person is also fine. In general, we prefer for you to use “we” rather than “you” when referring to your audience.
Please note…
The above are guidelines and it is expected that you do your best to follow them, because you like us and want to make our lives easier. However, if you have a writing/reading- related disability that makes following these guidelines tough, we still want to hear from you. Do your best and, if we like your content, we’ll handle the rest.
Questions?
If you have a specific question about your article that’s not answered here, please don’t hesitate to contact us.