Printing Out Manuscripts

inkkognito · Dec 17, 2008

My manuscript is around 250 pages now, so I think it would near about destroy my ink jet. I need to see it visually spread out in front of me to make certain edits. I called our local UPS store, who will print it for 7 cents a page. FedEx/Kinkos wants 10 cents a page. Are those costs within reason? Any other suggestions for places who do low-cost print-outs? I could make it shorter if I change to single spacing, but I think that would be too hard on my eyes so I'm gonna have to eat the 250+ page cost. I want to get it done as reasonably as possible.

trickywoo · Dec 17, 2008

I found it was cheapest to get some extra ink cartridges and, if I wanted a copy for myself, print my manuscript on draft quality at 1.5 line spacing. I was able to do about 8 200 page manuscripts on one cartridge (plus whatever other printing I was doing).

I did it a couple of times at Office Depot, but it just added up. Of course, if you are submitting your manuscript, you want it to look as professional as possible and it's well worth the money.

Good luck!

MarkEsq · Dec 17, 2008

Can you compromise and do it 1 1/2 spaced? Might save a few cents.

I don't know about those costs, what is it about $18? That doesn't seem astronomical and I assume is in the realm of reason if all three are around the same.

caseyquinn · Dec 17, 2008

I print mine in the office - 50 pages at a time and stand by the printer ... guarding it...

KikiteNeko · Dec 17, 2008

Do you have a friend who could print it out at work or something?

250 pages really isn't a lot for your average printer. If you plan to be subbing a lot of manuscripts, you can buy a decent printer for about $150 or lower that will eventually pay for itself.

stephenf · Dec 17, 2008

I've printed thousands of pages on a cheap Lexmark printer,with no problems.You can set the printer to print in small batches, so you don't have to handle to much paper at a time.

sunna · Dec 17, 2008

I have a pretty cheap little printer, and while I go through toner a lot faster than I did back when all I wrote was short stories, it's still going strong.

Much cheaper to print it yourself, honestly. Do it in increments and it'll be easier for your printer to handle.

Lauri B · Dec 17, 2008

If your printer can't handle 250 pages, then it's not a very good printer.

inkkognito · Dec 17, 2008

I'm probably not giving my printer enough credit. It's a wireless Lexmark and is actually a good little workhorse. I think it's more my hatred of having to feed in paper (since it doesn't hold a lot) and potentially needing to change the ink cartridge midstream. Since magazine articles are the bulk of my work, I've never had a printout of this size before.

I probably need to stop being lazy and just print it chapter by chapter here at home. I'll check and see if there is a draft mode to save some ink. I'll be submitting it to the publisher electronically, so the printout is strictly for my own editing purposes.

donroc · Dec 17, 2008

Go Laser!

Lauri B · Dec 17, 2008

Chapter by chapter might be less daunting, editing-wise, too.

Printing Out Manuscripts

inkkognito

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya

trickywoo

MarkEsq

Clever title pending.

caseyquinn

Just happy to be here

KikiteNeko

.

stephenf

sunna

Lauri B

I Heart Mac

inkkognito

Onlyifyouwanttowillyoufin daway-Enya

donroc

Historicals and Horror rule

Lauri B

I Heart Mac