What an editorial charter includes
- Purpose and audience: why you publish and who you write for.
- Editorial line: the topics you cover, and the ones you don’t.
- Tone of voice: for example expert but friendly, with examples.
- Writing rules: spelling (British or American), capitalization, numbers, abbreviations and words to avoid.
- Formatting: headings, lists, links, images and calls to action.
- SEO guidelines: keyword research, titles, meta descriptions and internal linking.
- Quality and sources: fact-checking, citing sources, author bios and the review process.
Editorial charter vs editorial calendar
The charter defines how you write; the editorial calendar schedules what you publish and when. Together with a brand book, they keep all content on-brand, accurate and useful.