Damn the Dashes and Full Speed Ahead!

By August Isley © 2025

In the publishing world, do editors actually pay attention to en-dash and em-dash rules? If so, are they strictly adherent to the definitions and applications? Is this something that must be done for a book to be considered top quality?

Indeed, editors in the publishing world do pay attention to en-dash and em-dash rules. The use of these punctuation marks is important for maintaining consistency, clarity, and professionalism in a text.

- En-dash (–): Generally used to indicate a range of values (e.g., 1980–2020) or to connect related items (e.g., New York–London flight).

- Em-dash (—): Often used to create a strong break in the sentence, to set off parenthetical information, or to emphasize a point (e.g., I wish you would—if it’s not too much trouble—stop by the store).

Strict adherence to the definitions and applications of these dashes is expected, especially in professionally published books. While minor errors might not disqualify a book from being considered high quality, meticulous attention to detail, including proper punctuation, reflects a level of professionalism and care that can significantly enhance the reading experience. It’s part of what distinguishes top-quality publications from less polished works.

That said, the specific standards might vary somewhat depending on the publisher, the style guide being used (e.g., Chicago Manual of Style, AP Stylebook), and the context of the text. Writers and editors strive to follow these conventions closely to maintain the integrity and readability of the work.

So our frustrated authors may ask how one should configure our word document to incorporate the en-dash em-dash keystroke to visual text?

To configure your Word document to easily incorporate en-dash and em-dash keystrokes, you can use built-in keyboard shortcuts or customize your AutoCorrect settings. Here's how you can do both:

1. Keyboard Shortcuts:

En-dash (–):

   - On Windows: Press `Ctrl` + `Minus` (on the numeric keypad).

   - On Mac: Press `Option` + `Minus`.

Em-dash (—):

   - On Windows: Press `Ctrl` + `Alt` + `Minus` (on the numeric keypad).

   - On Mac: Press `Shift` + `Option` + `Minus`.

2. AutoCorrect Settings:

   You can set up your AutoCorrect options to replace certain characters with en-dashes and em-dashes automatically.

   For En-dash (–):

1. Go to `File` > `Options` > `Proofing`.
2. Click on `AutoCorrect Options`.
3. In the `AutoCorrect` tab, enter something like `--` in the "Replace" field.
4. In the "With" field, type `–`.
5. Click `Add`, then `OK`.

   For Em-dash (—):

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 from above.
2. In the `AutoCorrect` tab, enter something like `---` in the "Replace" field.
3. In the "With" field, type `—`.
4. Click `Add`, then `OK`.

With these steps, inserting an en-dash or em-dash will be just a keystroke away, making your writing process smoother and more efficient.