The Essential Guide to Conscious Language Is Now a Book!
Reviews and interviews about The Conscious Style Guide
Karen Yin
June 24, 2024
June 24, 2024
Happy Mensiversary to The Conscious Style Guide!
Though the U.K. edition was published in June, it has been almost a month since The Conscious Style Guide came out in the U.S. A flurry of interviews quickly followed (links below), and I was delighted that apart from the ol’ standby—“What inspired you to write this book?”—the questions were unique and helped me introduce the concept of conscious language to a broader audience. More interviews are on the horizon! Be sure to follow me on social media for updates. About the book >
June Is Audiobook Appreciation Month
I’ve been getting wonderful compliments on the audiobook version of The Conscious Style Guide. June happens to be Audiobook Appreciation Month, so I am sending out a big thank-you to Michelle H. Lee for lending her warm voice to this project and to Melanie Schmidt, audio producer for Grammy-winning Hachette Audio, for creating such an aurally gorgeous product. Available from your favorite audiobook site or from your local libraries through the Libby app. Audio sample >
Big News for Whole Whale
Whole Whale turned 3 this month, and its message of inclusion continues to spread. Earlier this year, the Dutch edition (translated by Maria van Donkelaar and published by De Vier Windstreken) was selected for The National Reading Days 2025’s Picture Book Top 10. I also found out that the original English edition (published by Barefoot Books) will be released as a board book and ebook around September. I cannot wait to welcome these formats into the Whole Whale family. (Illustrated by Nelleke Verhoeff.) About the book >
Please read on! I have a few events lined up, and you can find links to the latest reviews and interviews below.
~ Karen Yin
~ READ ~
 | The Writing Resource (Review)Erin Brenner, author of The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors, wrote this about The Conscious Style Guide: “If you’re familiar with conscious language, you might be tempted to dive right into chapter 3. Fight that temptation. It’s like reading the front matter of a dictionary: your understanding of how to use this tool will jump into the stratosphere if you take the time for those first chapters.” Review > |
 | You Don’t Say (Review)John McIntyre, author of The Old Editor Says, calls The Conscious Style Guide “a book for our times…This is not a rule book. It is a book asking you to think and make informed judgments.” Review > |
 | Tertulia (Book List)Tertulia, an online bookstore and conversation hub, invited me to create a reading list to promote my book. I took the opportunity to showcase some books that excite both the writer and editor in me. Best New Books for Writers and Editors > |
~ WATCH ~
 | That Word Chat (Interview)According to host Mark Allen, my latest appearance on That Word Chat was the most well-attended session in years other than the ACES 2024 edition. Topics include: how my style guide differs from other style guides, how it provides a bridge between wanting and doing, why I coined the term conscious language, and how to ask offensive questions. Video > |
 | The Editor’s Half Hour (Interview)I had the best time chatting with Nadia Geagea Pupa, the host of The Editor’s Half Hour. Topics include: saying the wrong thing, allies using questionable words, editors mishandling self-labels, contextualizing unsavory language, and what I really think about the Karen meme/archetype. Video > |
~ LISTEN ~
 | Asian American History 101 (Interview)I am so pleased to have been Gen and Ted's guest on Asian American History 101. Topics include: the origin of Conscious Style Guide, why I present conscious language as a philosophy instead of a list of words, how folks who are not writers can benefit from reading the book, why the book is considered self-help, and why it's “Gen & Ted” and not “Ted & Gen.” Podcast > |
 | KPFK’s Feminist Magazine (Interview)I had the tremendous honor of speaking with lesbian activist Lynn Harris Ballen, who has cohosted FemMag since 2007. Topics include: how NCTE’s gender-fair language guide influenced my style, our responsibility as the new media, the importance of knowing yourself before you can change your language, horizontal hostility between activists, and The Conscious Style Guide as a teaching tool. Radio > |
 | Book Riot’s All the Books! (Shout-Out)Big, fat thanks to Liberty Hardy of Book Riot's All the Books! podcast for enthusing over The Conscious Style Guide: “I deeply appreciate the humanity in this style guide…I appreciate the flexibility and commitment to nuance that Yin offers. I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of this book.” Podcast > |
~ JOIN ~
 | American Library Association Annual Conference (San Diego, CA)Attending ALAAC 2024? On Sunday, find me at the Barefoot Books booth, signing Whole Whale from 9:45 to 10:30 a.m. If you’d like a signed copy of The Conscious Style Guide, head over to the HBG booth after 11 a.m. Event > |
 | Writing Against Asian American Stereotypes (Long Beach, CA)Join me and three other debut authors in person on July 21, 2024, at 4 p.m., for a rousing discussion on “Writing Against Asian American Stereotypes.” Stay for the book signing! Event > |
~ GET ~
 | Excerpt From The Conscious Style GuideSubscribers to my free monthly Conscious Language Newsletter receive access to an excerpt from The Conscious Style Guide. Newsletter > |
 | Desk/Exam Copy of The Conscious Style GuideIf you are an instructor in the U.S. or Canada who has adopted or is considering adoption of The Conscious Style Guide for your course, please request a complimentary desk or exam copy from Hachette Academic. Request > |
~ SUPPORT ~
Want to read The Conscious Style Guide for free? Ask your library to purchase a copy! Also available as an ebook and an audiobook. (Or get your own copy anyway. Reference materials for professional use may be a tax-deductible business expense.)
