Dumb question thats concerning me.

[frisco]

I really havent had a ton of experience in sending out stuff to the various publishers. I recently sent out a partial and was asked to send out a full manuscript--which I did--and now i'm concerned that perhaps it wasn't properly formatted.

I followed the submission requirements, but I noticed on one website that I should have used Courrier as the font and I used New Times Roman. It also said that if I include anything in quotes it should be underlined--which I also didn't know until the thing was out in the mail; I'm sure a publisher used to 99% brightness 24 pound paper is going to love my 92% 20 lb Walmart stuff.
Hopefully that alone will not be enough to earn me an instant rejection letter. I guess I might have to chalk it up to a learning experience if it does.

[willfulone]

As long as you submit according to their guidelines stated on their site, you should be fine.

There ARE some standards in the industry. But, that does not necessarily bode poorly for you.

The type can be easily changed/formatted if they accept the book. It is a matter of only highlighting text and changing font size and saving new font to doc. Easy peasey.

They probably are used to getting new writers submitting that do not know the underline thing. That is also easily corrected with a quick fix. If you have a ton of such, it may be tedious to go through and underline and change back to regular font. But, it is not a huge deal. Not really. Small editing correction you can make - easy peasey.

I do not believe paper is going to be held against you either. If it were an issue, they would have likely told you what paper to submit on if it did not state in the guidelines you first submit under. I mean when they requested the full after the partial.

Think on this:

You sent in your partial with the same type font - correct? Of course you did - why would you do partial one way and then submit full another way? That does not makes sense. So, even though I hate assuming. I think I am pretty safe here in saying your partial went out the same as your full.

You probably did not underline in the partial either. Well, of course you did not. For you had no clue about that. So, you did not underline what you intend italic in your partial you sent.

And, you probably did not buy a special ream of paper to send out a partial and save it only for partials. Did you? Naw, I think you probably sent it out on the regular ole stuff you had around. Your wally stuff.

AND THEY STILL ASKED FOR A FULL!!!!!

Which means - you did nothing so bad that they were worried when they saw the partial.

You are fine. Totally fine. You are good even.

You can change those things if you wish now so you are prepared when you submit again later (if this not accepted this time).

Really, it is fine!

Christine

[Bufty]

Look at it this way.

Imagine you are an Agent and someone has sent you a brilliant novel (like yours).

If the writer had done or not done any of the things you are worried about - would they alone cause you to instantly reject the novel?

I didn't think so. And now you have answered your own question.

Good luck.

[seun]

I really havent had a ton of experience in sending out stuff to the various publishers. I recently sent out a partial and was asked to send out a full manuscript

As your question has been answered, I'll just say well done. And I'm not jealous. :D

[Maryn]

Yeah, me either.

Much.

Maryn, faintly green

[seun]

Yeah, me either.

Much.

Maryn, faintly green

Green like the Incredible Hulk?

[dawinsor]

Just an aside about a detail that really doesn't matter a whole lot: It's italics that get underlined, not quotes.

[job]

The agent or publisher wants a manuscript
double-spaced,
printed on one side of the paper,
with one-inch margins all round.
The type font should look standard -- TNR or Courier, 12 pt, or something that can pass for that.

This format is easy to read and make comments on.



Every page should have the your name, a word or two from the title, and the page number on it.

If they drop the ms and it spills all over the floor they can put it back in order.



The ms should be unbound.
Paper should feel heavy as standard typing paper.
The print job should have enough ink to be easily legible.
The ink shouldn't come off on their hands.

They want to be able to handle the ms easily.



You can do anything you want to indicate Italics. All you have to do is distinguished it from the rest of the text.

Worrying about Italics formatting is the joy and duty of copyeditors, a much later stage.


These submission parameters have simple, practical reasons. They're not rules for the sake of rules so the agent can throw your ms out.

Submit a ms that can be handled, read, and commented on easily, and you have done your part. Let your words do the rest. If there are any agents out there who get bent out of shape over trivia like Courier/TNR you don't want to work with them anyway.

[CheshireCat]

Just an aside about a detail that really doesn't matter a whole lot: It's italics that get underlined, not quotes.

Yeah, I was going to say the same thing. Underlining everything in quotes makes no sense at all, since that would include all dialogue.

And with today's technology, having italics in a manuscript where you want them is fine. I write for a major publisher, and the ce no longer underlines for italics. In fact, I haven't seen that on a copy-edited manuscript in donkey's years.

[ORION]

Yep just like the cat said.
The important stuff are your words...