A perfectly clean ms?

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Sage

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Okay, if it's barely noticeable, and it's going to be expensive and time consuming to fix, I wouldn't fix it. HOWEVER, I also wouldn't write the note explaining. A) That calls attention to it and, B) it says, "Yeah, I saw it, and I didn't bother to fix it." I know slush readers who have complained about people who specifically add to their query, "I couldn't fix the formatting, sorry," when they wouldn't have cared that much about the formatting as long as it was readable.

If it's a good novel, they're not going to reject you over a problem with your printer. Especially if you've hooked them by page 42.

(And seriously, if I was an agent, I'd just assume that you didn't even know about the line)

If it's something that's going to affect readability of the novel, I'd fix it.
 
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Jamesaritchie said:
I have found it's often as cheap, or cheaper in the long run, to take a disk down to Kinko's or Office Depo, or a local printer, and have them do it. If they don't provide a clean manuscript, they do it over for free.
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Solid advice here.

I'm in the reprint it crowd. You're a professional, and this manuscript is your face.
 

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aruna said:
I also always re-use paper on the back side, but I have so much already I don't need 400-odd more pages.
Anyway, it's going off today.
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Don't run paper through the printer again. The ink flakes off and causes problems.

If you're doing draft prints, for your eyes only, depending on your vision, you can print two-up, reducing two pages to fit side by side, landscape.
 

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aruna said:
The stain is very slight. The print itself is just as legible as without it. It's just a faint background line and in no way interferes with the reading of the ms.?
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Is this an ink jet printer?

I know they're expensive, but I urge writers to buy a low-end laser printer. It's much more economical, and better output.

And yes, reprint.
 

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aruna said:
I've reprinted. And yes, it's a laser printer. I do have an ink-jet but I only use it as a scanner. In fact, its cartridge is empty.
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When you install the new cartridge, there's usually a sheet that tells you how to clean the printer. Unplug the printer from the electricity, and follow the instructions--carefully.

After you print a ream of paper, gently shake the cartridge to re-distribute the very fine powder that's suspended in the cartridge.

Don't leave the printer on when you aren't printing--it dries out the cartridge.
 
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I'd probably reprint. it's a pain in the arse, but I wouldn't send in an application form for a job with marked pages even if it's only a faint mark.
 
Phaeal

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I'd reprint, then save the funky copy as a back-up or a review copy for betas. First impressions is not just the original title of Pride and Prejudice. ;)
 
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