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

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Someone mentioned the rtf problem this evening at dinner. If that's the case and someone actually DID have indents and they disappeared in rtf, then I apologize (but since I haven't named anyone you all know who you are!)

[voidmonster.livejournal.com]

Thing is, I was given a good long lecture at Viable Paradise on formatting and this very issue came up. It was suggested (by PNH, if memory serves) to never use auto-indent and instead use tabs for every new 'graph, since that survives even epic RTF mangles.

And then I got so swept up in the terrifying notion of actually having a story in front of both Nick and you that I forgot to fix my paragraphs when I changed to courier for submission. So I maintain my apology to you, since I was just nervous and goofed up something I technically know how to do properly.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Apology accepted (I don't think Nick has passed your story on to me--but he might still).