Does paper quality count?

janetbellinger

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On my ink jet printer, using heavy printer paper,I printed out the first three chapters of my Women's Fiction novel, along with letter and synopsis to submit to Tor Books. Then I made more revisions and needed to reprint. My ink jet printer takes forever to print out even one page so I used my husband's laser printer, which is super fast. When the pages were printed, I noticed they were a little floppy. The laser paper I used obviously isn't of the same standard of my ink jet paper. Do you think it is acceptable to submit a partial on paper that isn't super thick or should I buy new, heavier laser printer paper? Or do they even make heavy laser printer paper? Thanks. I won't submit until I get advice as to how to handle this.
 

rugcat

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As long as the quality of the paper isn't super cheap and shoddy, it doesn't matter.

In fact, if you end up with an agent who is making multiple submissions, copies will have to be made anyway, and super heavy paper, even if it looks great would be discouraged because it doesn't work as well in the copy machine.

No one is going to reject your ms because it's not printed on the highest possible grade paper.
 

ORION

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I concur.
Paper makes no difference, however, make sure the printer is not running out of ink and the copies are black. It is really annoying to read "gray" and blurred pages.
 

janetbellinger

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Thanks. I agree. I wouldn't dream of submitting anything with blurred or faint ink on it. I discarded the first few pages and reprinted them because there was a black line at the edge. I discovered it was because I'd put too much paper in the feeder. I figure if I don't respect the agent or publisher enough to submit work that is easy to read, I can't expect her to read my work. Heck, I can't even read the due date on my library books, because ut's printed on a grocery store tape and the print is so fine and faint. If I was an agent or editor, I'd automatically discard anything that I couldn't easily read.
 

Carmy

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The paper I use is "copy" paper, i.e., the same paper used in photocopiers. To the best of my knowledge, this is the paper used in professional offices. It often goes on sale (check out Wal-Mart of all places) and it pays to buy a 5,000 box at that time.

I have an Epson ink jet printer and a HP Officejet. The quality of the HP printer is superior to Epson's, much crisper and easier to read.
 

janetbellinger

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my HP printer is crisp too, it's just that it takes forever to print. I think I maybe it needs to be reloaded onto the computer.
 

Susan Gable

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I actually once heard an editor say she didn't like writers to use the heavier paper because...it's heavier. She's got to lug those partials and mss around, so she prefered lighterweight paper.

Susan G.
 

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and what?, pray, did we do in the old days...

Typewriters (the clacking things...) were prone to scruffy printing and a revision (quelle horreure) required white out or retyping of the page. One wonders just what agent expectations were then and how the poor writer spent eons one finger typing to ensure print perfection...

If you have a really slow printer, contract out the work to a print shop - I'm sure you can get a quality guarantee. Then, adopt a routine that changes are handled on a per page basis only - unless it is a wholesale revision of course.

Don't forget, once you get an invite to submit you might want to offer to send an electronic version; there are many reasons why this is preferable to you and to the recipient - my agent (yes, I have one) says that he prefers electronic and knows of many publishers who prefer it as well.
 

Lauri B

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I think you all worry too much.
 

Carmy

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LOL

Yes, Janet, try reloading the HP program. Mine is fast, but I had other problems a while ago and did a reload to sort it out.
 

Jamesaritchie

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paper

Paper doesn't matter within reason. You don't need super heavy or expensive paper, but how would you like to read through a 400 page manuscript printed on super cheap, too-light paper, really floppy paper? It isn't fun. It's hard to handle, difficult to separate, etc.

Copy paper is fine, but there's no reason to use cheap, lightweight paper. Use good quality 24lb paper, and avoid the really cheap, floppy paper. It is a reason for rejecting something on a bad day when you sick to death of trying to handle too many manuscripts.
 

e.dashwood

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20 lbs is just fine, and will save on postage. It's the standard.
 

Jamesaritchie

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paper

e.dashwood said:
20 lbs is just fine, and will save on postage. It's the standard.

No, it used to be the standard, back when the paper writers used was all bond. It would still be the standard if more writers actually bought and used good paper. Too many do not. Copy paper isn't bond, and 20lb copy paper, or any non-bond paper, is usually light, flimsy, and very difficult to handle. 24lb copy paper is almost the same quality as 20lb bond. Not quite as good as 20lb bond, but close enough.

Believe me, when I'm wading through a slush pile, it quickly becomes a pain in the %$$ when writers use 20lb copy paper. Most of this stuff is just crap, and drives me crazy. I've stopped reading many a manuscript because just separating the sheets was such a pain.

If you want to use 20lb paper, then have the decency to use bond paper, not a cheap Wal-Mart paper made for copiers.

Writers worry way to much about saving a little postage. It is, as the saying goes, being penny wise and pound foolish.

You get what you pay for, and saving a little postage can cost you a big check, if it makes the editor stop reading.
 

e.dashwood

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Jamesaritchie said:
No, it used to be the standard, back when the paper writers used was all bond. It would still be the standard if more writers actually bought and used good paper. Too many do not. Copy paper isn't bond, and 20lb copy paper, or any non-bond paper, is usually light, flimsy, and very difficult to handle. 24lb copy paper is almost the same quality as 20lb bond. Not quite as good as 20lb bond, but close enough.

Believe me, when I'm wading through a slush pile, it quickly becomes a pain in the %$$ when writers use 20lb copy paper. Most of this stuff is just crap, and drives me crazy. I've stopped reading many a manuscript because just separating the sheets was such a pain.

If you want to use 20lb paper, then have the decency to use bond paper, not a cheap Wal-Mart paper made for copiers.

Writers worry way to much about saving a little postage. It is, as the saying goes, being penny wise and pound foolish.

You get what you pay for, and saving a little postage can cost you a big check, if it makes the editor stop reading.

I use 20 lb., have done so for years, have had a fair amount published, never had a complaint. I also note the post above about agents/etc. not wanting to lug weight around. I also reference the scene in Sideways where the Giamatti character hands someone a huge stack of paper, and she thinks it's his mss. but wait there's more another huge lump of paper.
 

Lauri B

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Did I mention that I think you all worry too much? Write your book. Revise it. Send it in. See what happens. Most editors aren't like James A. Ritchie--we don't particularly care what it's printed on (although I'll give you that if you're thinking of printing it on colored paper or onionskin, into the recycling pile it will go). Focus your energy on your writing, not on what weight paper you're printing on. Really.
 

Julie Worth

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Appearance counts. If you send in your MS with fuzzy type, do you think a reader is going to ruin his eyes on it? The paper is less important, as long as it is clean, white and opaque. But you should use a grade that prints well, and 24 pound handles better than 20, unless the MS gets too thick for your box.
 

Kristen King

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I agree with Nomad. Just got to Staples or Office Max or whatever and buy a ream of standard multipurpose paper. Heck, go to Costco and buy a whole box of it. Unless you're writing in blood with a quill on animal skin or using 9-point Lucida Handwriting on bright pink invitation paper, no one's going to care. Well, no one except James A. Ritchie. ;]

Kristen

edited because I can't type
 
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ORION

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Actually all my requested fulls and the stuff I send my agent and my editor are all electronically sent.
The edited hard copy I just got from my editor is on standard multipurpose paper.
I totally agree with nomad. There are much better things to obsess about.
And James? If crappy paper stops your reading...well...I guess I just can't respond to that.
 

pconsidine

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Meh. The weight isn't nearly as important as the brightness. Where's the debate on that? I mean, let's prioritize here people!

:)
 

Sandi LeFaucheur

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pconsidine said:
Meh. The weight isn't nearly as important as the brightness. Where's the debate on that? I mean, let's prioritize here people!

:)

Actually, I don't notice the brightness until I get two sheets of different brightness side by side. Our latest shipment of paper at work is less bright than normal, and I really can't tell the difference unless I have a document done on the brighter paper beside it. I certainly don't find one more difficult to read than the other, or more taxing on the eyes. And with these old bifocal-type peepers I have, if anyone could tell (without seeing two sheets side by side) you'd think it'd be me. But then, as I have frequent migraines, maybe I'd find the bright paper more glaring. I'll have to give this some thought and consideration.