Fonts
- Thread starter ylrebmik
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Also, Times New Roman is acceptable. Fancy shmancy fonts are a no-no. It may seem like a good idea at first, but ultimately it distracts from the story. Besides that, it's a silly cause for rejection; don't get caught in that trap.
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Technically, you can write in any font you want.
But for submissions, as stated above, either Times New Roman or Courier New. READ SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS! Some agents/ publishers will have a preference.
There's a thread around here some where... oh here. A thread on FAQs about manuscript formatting.
But for submissions, as stated above, either Times New Roman or Courier New. READ SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS! Some agents/ publishers will have a preference.
There's a thread around here some where... oh here. A thread on FAQs about manuscript formatting.
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Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, you're allowed to write in whatever font you find most pleasing to the eye. 
You can always change the entire document to a standard font when it's time to send it out there.
-Derek
You can always change the entire document to a standard font when it's time to send it out there.-Derek
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How funny! @=)
SFWA standard is Courier or Courier New. Electronic submissions have made adjustable fonts like Times New Roman acceptable to a lot of people. However, as everyone has noted, specific editors & agents have their own standards. Verify first before sending off your manuscript.
It's always easy to do a CNTL-A inside your manuscript (select all) and change the font in one fell swoop as needed.
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Clair and Derek ditto ditto, and my own usual rant -- for goodness' sake WRITE in a font that does not strain your eyes and make you glaze over and miss errors. It is so easy to change the whole manuscript to the format preferred by the agent or editor when it is done.
Another issue is, if you are using the 250 words per page formula to determine your word count, You need to use Courier 12 double spaced.
Buried deep inside Uncle Jim's thread, is the explanation of why agents still want to use the old 250 WPP formula when every word processor gives you the exact word count. To be safe, unless the agent asks for a specific method, I list both counts in the header of my MS.
Buried deep inside Uncle Jim's thread, is the explanation of why agents still want to use the old 250 WPP formula when every word processor gives you the exact word count. To be safe, unless the agent asks for a specific method, I list both counts in the header of my MS.
Just write. Why burden yourself with all these worries about nothing. 
How do you add word counts in the header? A final total? Just type it in same as any other information in a header or footer.
umm, is there a certain section in Uncle Jim's that I should be looking? ...are you saying that every page I write has to be 250pages? I assume you mean 'words'. NO, and if you stop and think for a moment you will realise that is impossible to achieve as a regular target.
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Just write. Why burden yourself with all these worries about nothing.
How do you add word counts in the header? A final total? Just type it in same as any other information in a header or footer.
umm, is there a certain section in Uncle Jim's that I should be looking? ...are you saying that every page I write has to be 250pages? I assume you mean 'words'. NO, and if you stop and think for a moment you will realise that is impossible to achieve as a regular target.
That's why I was confused... and then I realized I don't like double spacing until I'm finished with the product... so I'm sitting here thinking... how am I supposed to get down all my pages that have 550 words...
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The 250 words per page is a formula. It's not a true word count. The old rule is that approximately 250 words fit on the page of a printed book. So, once you're done with your manuscript and have it all formatted with 1" margins and Courier / Courier New font and double-spaced, you count the # of pages and multiple it by 250 to get your assumed word count.
Times New Roman doesn't work for this calculation because it's not a fixed font. And if your margins are wrong, then the 250 calc won't work either.
Times New Roman doesn't work for this calculation because it's not a fixed font. And if your margins are wrong, then the 250 calc won't work either.
Also, you need to turn off your 'widow margin' and insure that you have 25 lines per page. One line short, over 300 pages can really throw off your count.
Again, as mentioned above, just write your novel. A few thousand words one way or another isn't going to make or break a deal.
Again, as mentioned above, just write your novel. A few thousand words one way or another isn't going to make or break a deal.
In Word, it's Format menu --> Paragraph... --> Line and Page Breaks tab, then uncheck the box "widow and orphan control" under Pagination.
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