Using more than one font. Am I shooting myself in the foot?

Meemossis · Dec 29, 2020

Is using more than one font a bad thing when submitting to agents or publishers? I heard they can be quite picky with submissions and require a specific font and size.

There are sections in my book that I feel would benefit from being written in a different font instead of using bold or italics. I already use both to distinguish between different things in my book, and a third option would help greatly. Should I stick with italics or risk it and pick a different font?

P.S Underlining doesn't look right.

InkFinger · Dec 29, 2020

I use a different font and formatting to show text messages, but that wouldn't be whole sections of a book. Not sure I'm clear about what you are doing.

lizmonster · Dec 29, 2020

Sections of my last MS used Courier for a specific reason. The rest was in TNR. The MS did pretty well in the query trenches. As long as you're not clobbering your readability, go forth and multi-font.

angeliz2k · Dec 29, 2020

Why do you feel these sections benefit from being in a different font?

Generally, you want to stick with one font. The risk is making the ms look amateurish. If it's accepted, the formatting will be tinkered with before the final version anyway, but you want to present a professional-looking manuscript.

Maryn · Dec 29, 2020

I am not a book designer or someone who screens submissions, but the greatest number of fonts I'd be cool with is two. Your main font, perhaps Times New Roman, is for the bulk of the book. A secondary font may show electronic communication (texts, email, like that) or something similar.

Flashback, lengthy backstory, different points of view, all need to be in the same font, with italics used sparingly as needed.

That say, you might try to convince me otherwise if you further explained why you already use two fonts and what the third might be used for. There are no absolutes, after all.

Maryn, making an exception for AbsoluteWrite

Meemossis · Dec 29, 2020

Maryn said:
A secondary font may show electronic communication (texts, email, like that) or something similar.

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That's what I intend to use it for. I already use italics for inner monologues, but I have a few instances of text communication. I didn't want these to be confused for each other.

That's for everyone's quick response. It put my mind at ease.

Bufty · Dec 29, 2020

Meemossis said:
That's what I intend to use it for. I already use italics for inner monologues, but I have a few instances of text communication. I didn't want these to be confused for each other.

That's for everyone's quick response. It put my mind at ease.

For inner monologues. OK, but if these monologues are long many folk find pages of italics can be very tiring to read. Would the POV not make it obvious something is an internal monologue without the need for italics? Just mentioning, but your choice, obviously.

Lord of Chaos · Jan 1, 2021

I have to agree. I don't think you want whole pages of inner monologue mainly because it stands a high likelihood of yanking the reader out of the story. If the writing isn't showing how the character feels, something like that sounds like a way to TELL the reader how they feel.

Perhaps a dose of action, followed by a short, to-the-point thought from the character could be an aide to build character (like a snarky thought about something their boss says that would get them fired for saying out loud).

Just a thought.

K.S. Crooks · Jan 2, 2021

Marie Lu in her Legend series uses different font style and colour for the two main characters. Each is written in first person and this provides an excellent way to know which character you are seeing through the eyes of. The key to something like this is to choses a font that doesn't become taxing to the eyes if having to be read a lot.

Chase · Jan 4, 2021

Publishers, agents, and even editors generally want one standard font with the same font's italics used sparingly for book titles, boat names, internal thoughts, to emphasize special words, etc.

After our manuscripts are accepted, then negotiate whatever diversity of fonts we think best showcase our work.

Otherwise, we risk our babies thrown out with the bathwater. :greenie

Using more than one font. Am I shooting myself in the foot?

Meemossis

InkFinger

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen

angeliz2k

never mind the shorty

Maryn

Baaa!

Meemossis

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Lord of Chaos

Let Chaos reign

K.S. Crooks

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism