For the first time in its more than hundred-year history, The Chicago Manual of Style will be published simultaneously in print and online. The 16th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style, the first new version since 2003, was reorganized to reflect the way publishing professionals work in the digital age.

Replete with advice on style and usage, the 16th edition will provide new information and guidelines for electronic workflow and processes. The authoritative reference guide for authors, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers and publishers was published Aug. 31.

Current subscribers to the online edition will automatically receive the 16th-edition content update and will also retain access to the 15th-edition content. "We took this unusual step of keeping the previous edition available in our online product because of the way editors and authors work," said Garrett Kiely, director of the University of Chicago Press. "Many will be involved in projects that require they stick with the 15th edition through completion, and by our continuing to host the 15th-edition content, they will be able to do just that."

The editorial team of the 16th edition of the Manual was guided by two overarching aims: to recognize the continuing evolution in the way authors, editors and publishers do their work, and to maintain a focus on the more enduring fundamentals. Drawing on their experiences as well as on the insights and recommendations of a host of authors, editors, proofreaders, designers and an advisory board of publishing professionals, the Chicago team has addressed the new formats, new procedures, sources and usages that define the publishing industry today.

Chicago fans will notice that the familiar orange jacket color has changed to blue. "This edition is a comprehensive update of the 15th, not just in the examples, but in the fundamental way the book has been revised from the start," Kiely said. "We conceived of it as an electronic product throughout the editorial process, and that shows in the greatly expanded index and in the reorganization of information throughout the book. We thought a shift away from orange would signal to our readers that the changes are substantial."

However, the blue jacket does have a place in The Chicago Manual of Style's history, as two previous editions were jacketed in pastel blue.