tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post6079615074793693123..comments2024-03-28T10:41:26.999-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Emerging Authors Want to Know!Danihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-67807236499413653652008-09-22T22:01:00.000-06:002008-09-22T22:01:00.000-06:00The thing to remember about manuscript format is t...The thing to remember about manuscript format is that it is all intended to make someone else's job easier, whether that someone is an acquisitions editor, copy editor or layout person. Coach Bilmo (http://www.shunn.net/format/) gives a pretty good account of how the different specs from courier to underlining, help someone do their job better. It's worth noting, too, that if a certain format makes an editor's job easier, it also makes the writer's job easier when the writer is wearing his/her editor hat.<BR/><BR/>As others have said, it is important to check out publishers and agents websites for guidelines. If your look around the Larson/Pomada Agency website, you will find a downloadable font called "Dark Courier." I suspect that Larson or Pomada read so many manuscripts that they become fatigued quite easily by faint type. Regardless of why they recommend it. I made sure to download it and reformat my submission before sending it to them. Heck, I'd have downloaded it if it were "Vampire Fang Gothic." Always try to make it easy for the editor/agent to evaluate your submission.Mark Troyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10746027017657987261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-91731219927437427672008-09-22T21:53:00.000-06:002008-09-22T21:53:00.000-06:00Very cool concept for a series!When I was a mag ed...Very cool concept for a series!<BR/><BR/>When I was a mag editor, proper formatting was nice...but content and a strong voice were better.Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01440306286962105757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-38720490783141467872008-09-22T21:25:00.000-06:002008-09-22T21:25:00.000-06:00On the contrary, I worked as a trade magazine edit...On the contrary, I worked as a trade magazine editor for years, and even though we had submission guidelines, formatting was irrelevant to me. All I cared about was content, and I accepted or rejected articles, based entirely on value to our readers. Every submitted file had to be stripped of formatting (paste special!) before it even went into a Word document for editing. Then it was flowed into Quark for layout. I'm not suggesting you ignore the rules, but good content trumps everything.L.J. Sellershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04858789506093830224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-70065871199027050912008-09-22T14:22:00.000-06:002008-09-22T14:22:00.000-06:00Thanks everyone for your great answers! At least n...Thanks everyone for your great answers! At least now I know I'm not the only one who worries about this stuff. And Dani, you're right - contacting a publisher IS scary! Even after the editor contacted me to let me know my story was accepted, I was afraid to email her back too many times. I thought maybe she'd revoke my publication :oAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17638584737109705999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-87450916900931625362008-09-22T14:05:00.000-06:002008-09-22T14:05:00.000-06:00I'm surprised no one has asked what a fledgling au...I'm surprised no one has asked what a fledgling author should do if the publisher's website doesn't give good information. Is it okay to contact them for more help? Scary thought for a newcomer!<BR/><BR/>Dani<BR/>http://pdreadful.blogspot.comDanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-77874114650504319022008-09-22T13:44:00.000-06:002008-09-22T13:44:00.000-06:00Thanks for the questions, Emma. I hope you'll come...Thanks for the questions, Emma. <BR/><BR/>I hope you'll come up with some more!Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.com