Underline all words to be italicized in MS?

otterman · Nov 22, 2007

I've read instructions for preparing a MS. It says to use underlining for words you wish to have italicized. I have large sections (memories and dream sequences) that I wish to italicize to distinguish them from regular description and dialogue. In preparing my MS, should all of this be underlined? This will be a lot of lines. Just don't want to send an agent something that looks like a drafting project.

donroc · Nov 22, 2007

From my experience, the only place I have ever seen a request that you underline italics has come from TOR books. I have always italicized, and not one agent who saw a partial and requested a full ever asked me to underline instead. Read their requirements and do as they say. If no instructions exist regarding italics vs. underline, I'd italicize.

www.donaldmichaelplatt.com

Jersey Chick · Nov 22, 2007

It used to be common practice to underline - I think back when people used typewriters instead of pcs. I think italics are acceptable now. I use them instead and no one's complained so far.

seun · Nov 22, 2007

Yep, I leave italics as they are and don't underline.

scribbler1382 · Nov 22, 2007

Standard practice for the big houses is to underline for italics. But I've never heard of a manuscript being sent back because they just used italics. I'm pretty sure they're more concerned with the story. At least, I hope they are.

astonwest · Nov 22, 2007

Pay attention to their submission guidelines, and you'll never go wrong.

aliajohnson · Nov 22, 2007

When I first started formating my manuscript for submission to agents, I underlined because, like you, I read in more than one place that it was best to do so. No one complained, but after I signed with an agent, she sent me a list of things she'd like to see changed in the MS, and at the top was "convert all underlining to italics." Go figure. I suppose it just isn't a big deal one way or the other.

jclarkdawe · Nov 22, 2007

Italics and underlining doesn't make a difference, until your manuscript goes to the typesetter. Then it can make a big difference.

When EQUINE LIABILITY went to the typesetter, I lost italics all over the place (case names are italicized and there are at least 200 in the book). Big freaking pain in the butt. That's where I'd be concerned and think about underlining. And this is a question I think you need to be asking your editor.

I would not worry about it for an agent.

But for something else for you to think about: large blocks of italics can cause problems for readers. I came across somewhere that readers tend to skim blocks of italicized printing. And after I read that, and thought about my reading habits, damned if it isn't true.

Best of luck,

Jim Clark-Dawe

Julie Worth · Nov 22, 2007

I use whatever looks best with a given font. Italics stands out with TNR but doesn't with Courier, so in that case I underline. It only takes seconds to convert one to the other, so this shouldn't be an issue.

maestrowork · Nov 22, 2007

Standard font for ms. is Courier, and it's very difficult to see italics with that font. That's why underline is used instead. However, as more and more places accept Times Roman, italics are accepted with that font because it's easily discernible. Be consistent.

Inky · Nov 22, 2007

Well, now I'm good and confused.
Think I'm going to email a couple of publishing houses, explain I belong to a huge writing forum, and ask their take.

I would LOOOVVVVEEE to be able to italicize throughout the manuscript.
But I'm old school. I feel like I'm doing something wrong/breaking a golden rule if I don't underline where italics are to be.

Like the poster above, I had to go through and change all underlined words to italics.

And, like another poster, I've heard the same reason: underlined is easier for the typesetter to see.

*smacks forehead*

Do I go left, do I go right, do I go left..... Grrrrr.

Maybe we can get Jenna to answer this. I think if I put the question to publishing houses, they'll assume I'm a crackpot, mark my name down in their books, watch for my submissions, and use them for kindling.

It could happen.

maestrowork · Nov 22, 2007

inked09012 said:
And, like another poster, I've heard the same reason: underlined is easier for the typesetter to see.

In the past, typesetting was done by hand, and that was why they needed something easy to discern: Courier, underline, etc. Now, since much of it is done by computers, it doesn't really matter much, as long as you're consistent: so that they can do global replacing or formatting.

Editors still prefer to read printed mss. instead of on a computer screen. So you need to make the ms. easy to read. If you format your ms. with Courier font, then use underline. For TNR, you can use either, and some prefer true italics. Again, be consistent. And read the submission guidelines.

otterman · Nov 22, 2007

Thanks for all the input. I will use Times Roman and keep italics (at least at the agent query level). I think it will look better. I appreciate your concern jclark, but the italicized portions of my story are very key flashbacks that fill the characters/reader in on past events. When the first draft was being written, I decided to take events from the beginning of the story out and use them as flashbacks/memories. I think it has made the story much more interesting, but some of the passages are long.

scribbler1382 · Nov 22, 2007

I think it was originally done because typewriters couldn't make Italics way back when. They could use their standard font (courier) because that's what was stamped on the keys (this was before that little spinning ball thingie...hope that's not too technical for you), and they could underline (go back over what had already been typed and put an underscore on it...they could also type the entire alphabet in one place using the same method, but you'd need a time machine to read it). A bunch of nogoodniks started this whole choice mess later on...I think they were the same capitalist dogs who put black and red ink on the same ribbon...heretics!

Or at least, that's what I'm choosing to believe.

CheshireCat · Nov 22, 2007

At every house I've written for, the practice (once PCs came into common usage and we stopped using typewriters) has been to italicize in the manuscript.

At the copy-edit stage, the ce will underline or otherwise mark the italics for the typesetter, just as she notes which are en-dashes and which are em-dashes, and so on.

As long as your manuscript is legible and doesn't make an agent or editor work too hard to read, you'll be fine.

Underline all words to be italicized in MS?

otterman

Word Voyeur

donroc

Historicals and Horror rule

Jersey Chick

Up all night to get Loki

seun

Horror Man

scribbler1382

Write For You, Edit For The Reader

astonwest

2 WIP? A glutton for punishment

aliajohnson

jclarkdawe

Feeling lucky, Query?

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

Inky

Eat, Sleep, Write...