How to Write Big Money

I was recently polishing my latest manuscript. One of the subplots involves a grant payout with large sums of money. In the drafts, I wrote the amounts with numerals. I had written $50,000, $30,000, $20,000, and $10,000 twice–all in one paragraph. A beta reader pointed out the mega use of zeroes.

A check in the Chicago Manual of Style made me reel back all those zeroes. Here’s the rule:

Use words not numerals when expressing money unless it’s a ridiculous amount that would be hard to read.

So I rewrote the paragraph and all the other mentions of money throughout the manuscript. For example, $30,000 became thirty thousand dollars. I also rewrote the paragraph so that I wouldn’t have so many thousand and dollars in the same paragraph and tripping up the reader.

Happy writing!

Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University and York Technical College. Her publications include three novels Irish Encounter and Mars…With Venus Rising, and Rescued Hearts as well as nonfiction articles. A member of ACFW, RWA, and SinC, she writes for SeriousWriter.com. She and her husband live in North Carolina and enjoy visits with their two daughters and twin sons.

Author of Rescued Hearts
                 Irish Encounter
                Mars…With Venus Rising

Visit Hope at hopetolerdougherty.com