The publisher who offered me a contract has requested an electronic Word copy of my ms, with the request: "No formatting please." What'd you reckon that means, exactly?
No Formatting
- Thread starter CaroGirl
- Start date
We're had threads about not using special Word formatting. I'm not exactly sure which one would be the best one to refer you to.
It means things like not using tab, not using "smart quotes" and using two hyphens instead of having Word creating a dash.
It means things like not using tab, not using "smart quotes" and using two hyphens instead of having Word creating a dash.
If the e-doc currently has formatting turned on, should I paste it into Notepad and then back into a blank, unformatted, Word doc? Is that a good strategy? That would also remove all the italics/underlining too.
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2010
- Messages
- 1,030
- Reaction score
- 118
- Location
- Pacific NW
- Website
- www.melissa-c-alexander.com
Are you sure? I can interpret that three VERY different ways:
* No special formatting
* Text only
* Standard manuscript format -- no "book" formatting.
I would ask for clarification.
* No special formatting
* Text only
* Standard manuscript format -- no "book" formatting.
I would ask for clarification.
Don't do anything just yet.
Let someone (such as Medievalist) give you more specific instructions for what you need to do.
It's a little hard to explain, but there is formatting, and there is formatting. ;-)
Let someone (such as Medievalist) give you more specific instructions for what you need to do.
It's a little hard to explain, but there is formatting, and there is formatting. ;-)
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2007
- Messages
- 15,599
- Reaction score
- 2,484
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Website
- www.annazabo.com
If it were me, I'd probably write back and ask.
Your publisher should be able to give you more specifics as to what they want and shouldn't be put out by you asking.
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2007
- Messages
- 20,006
- Reaction score
- 5,353
What they probably mean--and what I mean when I ask for this--is that the manuscript NOT have as many formatting marks as possible like hard returns, tabs and also things like headers, footers, title pages and so forth. Every house has their own system, and the more stuff there is with the manuscript the harder it is to edit. When one of my writers turns in a manuscript for editing, all I want to see is the correct font, pt., left justification, and absolutely NO hard returns/indents. Those little suckers take FOREVER to get out of a manuscript and I hate to pay an editor to do it. Which means I get to do it and it makes me ill-tempered.
But still--I'd ask. Their requirements are probably different from mine.
But still--I'd ask. Their requirements are probably different from mine.
Thanks all! I emailed him back requesting clarification. Had hoped that phrase had a standard meaning. Now I'm waiting to hear back again...
Hate waiting.
Hate waiting.
I heard back from him, and I'm glad I asked! He sent me a lot of details about how he wants it formatted. The only question I have is what is the right way to format the indents for the initial line of new paragraphs? Should I remove them completely and just leave the hard returns (left justified)? Publisher says:
Do not set indents (of an initial line or of an entire paragraph) by
code, space bar, or tabbing. (This is automatically done by inches or
points in our layout program.)
Do not set indents (of an initial line or of an entire paragraph) by
code, space bar, or tabbing. (This is automatically done by inches or
points in our layout program.)
- Joined
- Aug 20, 2007
- Messages
- 15,599
- Reaction score
- 2,484
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Website
- www.annazabo.com
That sounds to me like you should just leave it left-justified (no indent) and whatever they're using for layout will indent as they prefer.
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2007
- Messages
- 20,006
- Reaction score
- 5,353
Are you using Word? Go into your Word program. Hit the paragraph pull down menu on your home key. When the menu comes up, the second section is INDENTATION. On the right hand side there's a pulldown menu under SPECIAL. In the left hand menu, select First Line and in the right set it to whatever spacing your publisher prefers. That sets up your auto-indent so that you don't have hard tabs/returns that will mess up your formatting.
THEN, again on the Paragraph section, see that little paragraph sign in the top right hand corner? Hit that, and your formatting will show up in your manuscript. Go through and get rid of every little arrow that indicates a hard return, because those are the scamps that screw everything up.
Your editor will love you.
Also, handy note re: formating and special formatting in word - you can highlight the whole text and then in your formating tool bar, in teh drop down box that tells you what sort of text you have - it usually reads 'normal' or 'heading' etc, you can select 'clear formatting'
Even plain text is formatted in some ways. I suspect he does mean no special formatting, standard only.
I must have done something right. He just emailed to say my publishing contract is coming later this month.
For some reason, I can no longer concentrate on anything.
For some reason, I can no longer concentrate on anything.
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2009
- Messages
- 6,004
- Reaction score
- 1,233
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2007
- Messages
- 8,049
- Reaction score
- 772
- Location
- Clearlake Park, CA
- Website
- www.strokingthepen.com
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2005
- Messages
- 4,714
- Reaction score
- 2,190
- Location
- In the resistance
- Website
- www.claireodell.com
)
I believe she's referring to manual line breaks, not paragraph breaks.I'm curious. What happens to the paragraphs if you eliminate all hard returns?
And congrats, CaroGirl!
Whew. <wipes brow>
I've learned how to work with styles to eliminate excess codes, but I was alarmed by the idea that I shouldn't create paragraphs.