This is a really pointless question

Tariel

Reader-Writer-Editor
Apr 25, 2005
55,605
1,231
35
✟68,827.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
When writers are discussing the lengths of their works in process, and are measuring by page numbers, is there any particular font that is "proper" to use? Or any particular type size? Is this measurement done double-spaced or single? I'm just wondering, as the title says, this is a pointless question - I go by word count ^_^
 
Feb 17, 2007
186
7
Southeast US
✟7,871.00
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
Word count is more reliable than pages. If somebody tells me they have a certain number of pp, I have no idea how long their story is. [Are they double spaced pp, as is standard, or single spaced? What are the margins?] If somebody says, 'I'm 12,000 words into my WIP, I know exactly how long their project is. Is that makes sense?
 
Upvote 0

Tariel

Reader-Writer-Editor
Apr 25, 2005
55,605
1,231
35
✟68,827.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Word count is more reliable than pages. If somebody tells me they have a certain number of pp, I have no idea how long their story is. [Are they double spaced pp, as is standard, or single spaced? What are the margins?] If somebody says, 'I'm 12,000 words into my WIP, I know exactly how long their project is. Is that makes sense?
Yeah - that makes perfect sense and I agree. Nevertheless, a lot of people do use page count, and I was just wondering if there was some sort of standard.
 
Upvote 0

Tariel

Reader-Writer-Editor
Apr 25, 2005
55,605
1,231
35
✟68,827.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
Publishers go by word count, and prefer single spaced Times New Roman. I've heard that if they find something really good they don't care as much about the format.

When I write I use Palatino Linotype, then change it for submissions.

B5
I know that many (if not all) publishers prefer double-spaced. Sure, if it's really good they might not care about the formatting, but if it's not properly formatted chances are they'll throw it out without taking a look at it.
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

MrBF1V3

Regular Member
Oct 25, 2006
149
7
62
The Okay Southwest
✟15,314.00
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
I know that many (if not all) publishers prefer double-spaced. Sure, if it's really good they might not care about the formatting, but if it's not properly formatted chances are they'll throw it out without taking a look at it.
That hasn't been my experience at all, but then, I've been 'playing the game' with smaller presses and semi-pro writing. Some of them even accept (gasp) electronic submissions.

I don't know what the big companies are like.

B5
 
Upvote 0

Tariel

Reader-Writer-Editor
Apr 25, 2005
55,605
1,231
35
✟68,827.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
Single
That hasn't been my experience at all, but then, I've been 'playing the game' with smaller presses and semi-pro writing. Some of them even accept (gasp) electronic submissions.

I don't know what the big companies are like.

B5
I've talked to several authors, literary agents, and editors. They all repeatedly say that if a manuscript does not follow the publisher's guidelines, it will not be read.
 
Upvote 0

Lindon Tinuviel

Well-Known Member
Nov 19, 2002
3,551
109
56
Not there anymore
✟4,348.00
Faith
Christian
Marital Status
In Relationship
Politics
US-Others
Rules of thumb, and some of the reasons for them:

Use some flavor of non-proportional 12-point Courier font. That gives a nice ten characters-per-inch, and it keeps the "i" character the same width as the "w" character. Of course, if the publisher asks for a different font, then you should use whatever they want.

Do not bold and do not use italics. Printing presses use their own system of codes for making something bold or italic--anytime you do it, somebody's going to have to undo it before the copy can be set. Have you ever seen writers' guidelines which ask that you use a "#" character whenever you want to skip an extra line? That's because the "#" just happens to be the press-code for "put a space here". That gives an extra line which appears to be blank because the only character on it is a space.

Margins should be set to no less than 1" on all four sides. Type should be double-spaced. Editors have a special tool they use. It's called a "blue pencil". It is a pencil. It is blue. The white space between the lines and around the edges allows the editor to make funny little blue squiggles all over your pretty, clean manuscript.

The average printed page runs about 250 words. Normally, that's not really something the writer needs to worry about.

If the publisher provides guidelines, use them. The strength of your story won't be of much help if your manuscript is deleted, unread.
 
Upvote 0
Feb 17, 2007
186
7
Southeast US
✟7,871.00
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
I recently submitted a story to Wolfsinger Publications. Here is part of the submission guideline:

[FONT=&quot]Format your work to standard manuscript format: double-spaced type, Times New Roman 12 or
something similar, and include your name, address, phone number and email.
Please use italics for italics and bold for bold. Lastly, send us
only RTF files. No exceptions.

The moral of the story: always read the guidelines carefully. Editors' preferences vary from editor to editor.
[/FONT]
 
Upvote 0

sunstruckdream

Simply fantastical!
Oct 9, 2005
6,576
153
✟15,003.00
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Private
I recently submitted a story to Wolfsinger Publications. Here is part of the submission guideline:

[FONT=&quot]Format your work to standard manuscript format: double-spaced type, Times New Roman 12 or
something similar, and include your name, address, phone number and email.
Please use italics for italics and bold for bold. Lastly, send us
only RTF files. No exceptions.

The moral of the story: always read the guidelines carefully. Editors' preferences vary from editor to editor.
[/FONT]
What's an RTF file?
 
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

sunstruckdream

Simply fantastical!
Oct 9, 2005
6,576
153
✟15,003.00
Faith
Protestant
Marital Status
Private
Rich Text Format. It's easily read by almost every word-processing program, regardless of platform. It's a couple of steps up from plain text.
Oh, Rich Text. I didn't make the connection for some reason...

thanks :)
 
Upvote 0

MrBF1V3

Regular Member
Oct 25, 2006
149
7
62
The Okay Southwest
✟15,314.00
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
I recently submitted a story to Wolfsinger Publications. Here is part of the submission guideline:

[FONT=&quot]Format your work to standard manuscript format: double-spaced type, Times New Roman 12 or
something similar, and include your name, address, phone number and email.
Please use italics for italics and bold for bold. Lastly, send us
only RTF files. No exceptions.

The moral of the story: always read the guidelines carefully. Editors' preferences vary from editor to editor.
[/FONT]
I might add, not only do variations in guidelines, but you'll find tolerance levels all over the board.

I am submitting to the company who said "98% of submissions receive a polite rejection letter." as opposed to the one which said, "It will be at least a year before you hear back from me, if at all." They won't hear from me, neither will the one, "We publish most genres, but no childrens books or Christian literature."

I've talked to an ex copy reader who said her company read everything that was submitted, they don't want to turn down a potential seller. It is a business after all. On the other hand, why infuriate the people who might help you?

Oh, and I do stand corrected. Double spaced is standard. I guess I've been submitting to too many e-magazines.

B5
 
Upvote 0
Feb 17, 2007
186
7
Southeast US
✟7,871.00
Faith
Lutheran
Marital Status
Single
Politics
US-Others
Hi, MrBF1V3. This is off topic, but I wanted to mention that you are responsible for getting someone published that you don't even know. Sometime back you posted the submission info on a SF Flash fiction site, and you urged CFers to at least try to get published on it. I don't write flash, but one of my friends is good at it. I passed your info on to her, and since then she's been published definitely twice on that site, and three times if I"m not mistaken. She was very grateful for the tip!
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrBF1V3
Upvote 0
This site stays free and accessible to all because of donations from people like you.
Consider making a one-time or monthly donation. We appreciate your support!
- Dan Doughty and Team Christian Forums

MrBF1V3

Regular Member
Oct 25, 2006
149
7
62
The Okay Southwest
✟15,314.00
Faith
Baptist
Marital Status
Married
Tell her "your welcome" for me. Glad I could help.

Flash fiction is kind of the bonzai tree of writing. It's not as easy as it looks, but it can be worthwhile.

As for the rest, fonts, spacing, and other formatting things; they are important. But job 1 is to write a good story.

B5
 
Upvote 0