Topic: Italicizing new words on first use?

Opinions, please. I'm wondering when to italicize new words. Following are four examples.

1) Tactical overlays showed their light nova cannons, heavy supernova cannons, and shields readying for battle.
2) “Warning, intruder alert!” Aussie said. “Imperial Classiarii are now boarding this vessel!”
3) "Gobs! The whole galaxy?" Joseph asked, his eyes round as saucers.
4) Apollo was sole Heir to the Imperium Romanum.

Number one seems correct.
In number two, the new word is Classiarii (it's a real word from the Roman Empire). Are new words in dialogue italicized? It could make it seem as if the speaker is stressing the word, rather than the narrator.
In number three, the new word is gobs (like gobsmacked). Same as number two?
In number four, Heir to the Imperium Romanum is a formal title. Should it be italicized on first use?

I'm also not sure what to do with all the other made up words in the book. Do I italicize all of them on first use?

Thanks
Dirk

Quote Post 1

Re: Italicizing new words on first use?

Norm d'Plume wrote:

Opinions, please. I'm wondering when to italicize new words. Following are four examples.

1) Tactical overlays showed their light nova cannons, heavy supernova cannons, and shields readying for battle.
2) “Warning, intruder alert!” Aussie said. “Imperial Classiarii are now boarding this vessel!”
3) "Gobs! The whole galaxy?" Joseph asked, his eyes round as saucers.
4) Apollo was sole Heir to the Imperium Romanum.

Number one seems correct.
In number two, the new word is Classiarii (it's a real word from the Roman Empire). Are new words in dialogue italicized? It could make it seem as if the speaker is stressing the word, rather than the narrator.
In number three, the new word is gobs (like gobsmacked). Same as number two?
In number four, Heir to the Imperium Romanum is a formal title. Should it be italicized on first use?

I'm also not sure what to do with all the other made up words in the book. Do I italicize all of them on first use?

Thanks
Dirk

The first rule of italics is do not over-use. They are used sparingly to emphasize, set apart words as words, for titles of publications, names of ships, trains, etc., for long (paragraph) cited material, and for foreign words. So your thinking is a made-up word is like a foreign word, but my opinion it is not. In a sense, you might be saying, 'Hey reader, I intend to use this word and it's not a misprint'  or to emphasize, but I think not. None of your examples should be italicized, and especially so because it is fiction.

Quote Post 2

Re: Italicizing new words on first use?

Thanks, Charles. Others have told me the same thing, so you're in good company.

Quote Post 3