Style/Grammar Question, Title in query.

Joe Calabrese · Apr 9, 2005

Hi.

I'm having a debate lately with some other writers. Let see what the consensus is here.

When referencing your title in a query letter, do you put your title in...

quotes, "The Last Samurai."

italics, The Last Samurai.

Cap All. THE LAST SAMURAI.

Cap 1st letter, The Last Samurai.

Strunk and White doesn't seem to give a clear and definite answer.

For the titles of literary works, scholarly usage prefers italics with capitalized initials. The usage of editors and publishers varies, some using italics with capitalized initials, others using Roman with capitalized initials and with or without quotation marks. Use italics (indicated in manuscript by underscoring) except in writing for a periodical that follows a different practice. Omit initial A or The from titles when you place the possessive before them.
A Tale of Two Cities; Dickens's Tale of Two Cities. The Age of Innocence; Wharton's Age of Innocence.

So I guess the safe bet is to use italics. But as they said, different editors and publishers do different things.

I personally use quotes.

Thoughts?

Julie Worth · Apr 9, 2005

I never use quotes. I use italics, all-caps, and sometimes bold as well. But in the header of a MS, I underline.

And that reminds me...is it a MS, or an MS; a SASE, or an SASE?

JAlpha · Apr 9, 2005

I grapped this book off of my shelf . . . Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript. It's a 2001 Writer's Digest imprint. All their sample query letters with references to titles use italics. All the titles used on the manuscripts themselves, and synopsis are shown as all caps. However they are showing references to titles used in outlines as traditionally capped--no italics.

JAlpha

maestrowork · Apr 9, 2005

For books I use italics (CAPS if it's email). For screenplay I use 1st Caps.

A ms. and an SASE -- that's what I use. I see it as "a manuscript" and "an S.A.S.E."

dpaterso · Apr 9, 2005

When sending queries I put the title in double quotes.

When typing film titles in messages I write them in CAPS.

I have no idea why. It just looks right.

-Derek
My Web Page - naked women, bestial sex, and whopping big lies.

peggyb1946 · Apr 22, 2005

Underline v quotation marks

The quote you used was correct, of course. To simplify things, think quotation marks for short works with each major word using an initial capital and italics for long works with each major word using an initial capital. Underlines were used when manuscripts were handwritten and carried over to typewriters. ALL CAPS seem to be going out of favor.

Thus: Hamlet, a long play of more than three acts, italics.
"short play" of less than three acts, perhaps included in an anthology.

Monk, a long work because it is the name of the entire series.
"Mr. Monk goes to Manhattan," a short work because it's only one episode.

"poem," a short work
Anthology of poems, etc., a long work, a compilation of shorter works.

Newspaper, a long work
"Police Officer Arrested," a short work, an article.

See?

Peggy B

Style/Grammar Question, Title in query.

Joe Calabrese

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

JAlpha

Smilie Fanatic

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

dpaterso

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