Font type and size when submitting a novel to a publisher. | Page 1 | Writing Help- for writer's block, research, ect. | Guild Forums

Aevy
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Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:27 pm

I'm currently writing a novel that you may or may not know about. I've been working on it for a little over a year, and a month ago I had it in Bookman Old Style font, size fourteen, single spaced. It was one hundred and thirty pages. However, I wanted to change it to a more conventional style, so I made it Times New Roman font, size twelve, double spaced. It was then a little over one hundred seventy pages. Though I'm nowhere near finishing my novel, I want to make it the same format it will be when I someday submit it to a publisher, so that I can have an estimate of how far along I currently am. Does anyone know what this format might be? (Font, size, spacing, margins, etc.) <3

Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:10 pm

Y'know...
I think - hope - that it's your choice. I'm not sure since I'm like not good at this stuff...
{(and an idiot.)}
But my simple guess is that it is your choice.
It has to be readable though. I think.
>.<
-is a dorkaSAURUS-

mel0deis
Crew

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Aevy
Captain

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Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 7:16 pm

mel0deis

Y'know...
I think - hope - that it's your choice. I'm not sure since I'm like not good at this stuff...
{(and an idiot.)}
But my simple guess is that it is your choice.
It has to be readable though. I think.
>.<
-is a dorkaSAURUS-

Haha, thank you! x3 PS--the dorkasaurus is the best dinosaur ever. o_o

Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:14 pm

Most publishers prefer the manuscript to be double spaced, font pt. 12 in a proportional font. A proportional font is a font where each letter takes up the same amount of space, and is often referred to as "type writer fonts." The most common and preferred of these is courier new.

The idea with a proportional font, double spaced is that it should then read about the same way a book would, with the same number of words on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper as would be on the page of a conventional book. This way, someone reading your manuscript can gauge the pace of the novel. If you submit a single-spaced manuscript with font that is not necessarily proportional, it will make the book seem slooooow, even if it isn't.

As far as margins go, if you'd like to double check you can google "manuscript format" and find a more official link, but I'm sure 1" should suffice.

schmeddyhead

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Aevy
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:13 pm

NothingOf

Most publishers prefer the manuscript to be double spaced, font pt. 12 in a proportional font. A proportional font is a font where each letter takes up the same amount of space, and is often referred to as "type writer fonts." The most common and preferred of these is courier new.

The idea with a proportional font, double spaced is that it should then read about the same way a book would, with the same number of words on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper as would be on the page of a conventional book. This way, someone reading your manuscript can gauge the pace of the novel. If you submit a single-spaced manuscript with font that is not necessarily proportional, it will make the book seem slooooow, even if it isn't.

As far as margins go, if you'd like to double check you can google "manuscript format" and find a more official link, but I'm sure 1" should suffice.

Awesome, thanks a ton! That's just what I was looking for. =]

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