A rant on proper manuscript formatting

[ellen_datlow]

Recent reading and editing has brought to my attention the fact that some writers have suddenly (well, since using computers and email) decided that the usual rules of mss preparation are no longer necessary.

Three examples:
1) I have received print submissions without PAGE NUMBERS (not often, but still, this should never happen).

2) I have increasingly been the recipient of manuscripts that don't underline words meant to be italicized in the story's final, printed form. The reason editors/copy editors/and whoever does the production on a mss need to see underlines is that some typefaces don't show italics very well, and even if they did--it's quicker to "see" underline than italics

3)I have been receiving mss without anything indicating space breaks. What happened to ###? I'm in the middle of reading a printout that seemed to be missing at least two pages because there were no transitions...When I checked the efile, lo and behold, the sentence breaks were in different places so I could actually see that there were supposed to be space breaks. Writers--new and pro--please please show your space breaks by putting in hash marks.

4) Paragraphing--before online publishing, paragraphing was shown by indenting margins...Guess what, folks? Most publishing (especially of books) is still print, which means that paragraphs are indented.

Rant over

Comments

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

I've seen scene breaks denoted by both ### and #. Are both correct?

[tlmorganfield.livejournal.com]

I use # for scene breaks and ### to denote the end of the manuscript, and I've never gotten any complaints, but if that's incorrect, I of course want to change that habit.

[voidmonster.livejournal.com]

Not to completely derail everything, but I'd just like to say I'm thrilled to see that you're using the cover I did for GUD as your user icon!

This is way better than the fan mail I got from someone in prison for the images I had in Spectrum! WAY WAY BETTER.

[tlmorganfield.livejournal.com]

Very cool! Glad to have made your day a little brighter. I haven't gotten my contributor's copy yet, but I'm looking forward to getting a good close up look at that steambat cover.

[lonesome-crow.livejournal.com]

Always use ### for scene breaks and always write END at the end of the MS.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yes, please :-) Don't use ### for the end of a ms.

[rosefox]

What's your feeling about

-30-

? One of my reviewers uses it at the ends of her reviews and I find it utterly charming, but I realize it's rather old-fashioned.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

IIRC, the first time I saw it (many years ago), my first reaction was ..."huh?" It IS rather charmingly old-fashioned. Doesn't bother me. I'd prefer nothing or "The End" --but don't care enough one way or the other. The only time it matters is if the story ends at the bottom of the page and so the reader (me) doesn't realize it's the end of the story :-)

[tlmorganfield.livejournal.com]

I shall change all my manuscripts then. I was actually told a long time ago by an editor (though come to think of it, it might have been a slush reader) to not write END or THE END on a manuscript because it was "amateurish" :-D.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Well, I only think you need to write it if the "end" isn't obvious....up to you. But I don't see it as indicating amateur!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Either is fine (at least as far as I'm concerned). I usually change them to ### --I'm not sure why--maybe to make sure they're noticed? Or just habit.

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

Thanks.