posted
Personally, if I'm going to be printing the story, I use Courier Final Draft, which is, obviously, the native font of a screenwriting program called Final Draft.
I just like the way it looks on paper a little bit better.
posted
Final Draft was what I was referring to. I really don't like that font. It's difficult to read, and they make it that way on purpose to look type-written. such are the hazards of the occupation.
Posts: 2 | Registered: Aug 2010
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posted
Oh, I much prefer it. Though looking at Courier Final Draft, Courier, and Courier New side-by-side on a piece of paper, there really isn't much of a difference.
If I thought there was enough of a difference for an editor to notice, for example, I wouldn't submit that way.
I actually use it because I think it's just slightly easier to read than the other Courier fonts.
posted
I also much prefer Times New Roman, without question. It looks far more natural on the page.
But editors request Courier fonts because in standard Courier every letter and punctuation mark takes up exactly the same amount of space, and it is easier for them to get a handle on how big the article/story etc. will look in their publication.
You can experiment with this, as I did. Print out a string of nonsense letters, then, underneath it, a string of "i"s. Then, count all the letters. When you use Times New Roman, you'll find that the machine squishes the "i"s together, while in Courier there will be exactly the same number of "i"s as nonsense letters, meaning the "i" takes up exactly the same amount of space as a "D" or a "G," which is much larger.
Courier isn't just about making the lines easier to read (or faster, because fewer Courier words will fit per line of text than Times New Roman), it's about making it easier for the editor to estimate inches and/or page counts in their publication. It also makes things a heck of a lot easier for the Typesetter, particularly if they are using Character Recognition Software.
You're also supposed to double-space after every period (at the end of a sentence), and after every colon (but not semi-colons) -- also because it makes typesetting easier.
This is the format the SFWA recommends, as well as several Literary Markets, although the Commercial Magazine Market does not recommend quite as much space at the top of the first page (I'm sure it would not be a hindrance, of course.)
That should answer just about all of these types of questions.
~MR
[This message has been edited by MichaelCReed (edited July 19, 2005).]
quote:it is easier for them to get a handle on how big the article/story etc. will look in their publication.
If they can't do that with a word count....
I can see it for screenplays. Hollywood is very slow to change. For prose, I've never had a negative comment about using New Times Roman in prose. In fact, it is often recommended with Courier in guidelines.
posted
Briefly, the reason they can't estimate size from word count is that words vary in size. "Antidisestablishmentarianism" and "I" both count as one word. Thus while a word count will tell you how "long" a story is, it will not give you a very accurate idea of how much space it will take up in print.
Also, word counts from authors are not always valid (Mistakes and outright lies often occur), but an experienced editor can estimate a word count by ruffling the pages of a properly formatted manuscript. That depends on what they're use to seeing, though.
::Shrug:: Anyway, I'm only reporting what the SFWA wrote.
I've heard Times New Roman is okay for some markets. But then, I've heard that single spacing is okay from some markets, too.
Personally, I go with the most professional looking manuscript possible, and Courier fits that description for me, though I greatly prefer to write/read Times New Roman.
And as I stated, the use of Courier is mainly a nicety for the Typesetters.
posted
Well, actually, I do find Courier easier to read. I can read any decent typeface fairly quickly, but the two that are the easiest for me to read are Gothic and Courier.
Posts: 477 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Yikes Michael! I just put my manuscript thorugh that test, and went from 58 pages to 121 pages in seconds. Yes, I was going to ask those questions at some point. I will save that website address for furthr review.
One further question: My novel is about half written. I want to incldue the index. The website suggeted a cover page which I have not yet created. The problem I had with the index was getting the page numbering correct. Can I have both the cover page and the index in the same file with the novel and the page numbers be correct? If so, how?
posted
Yes, Microsoft Word. I knew I didn't have it formatted correctly, I was just writing. I may even change it back to single space while writing, so I can see more of the story that I am working on. I knew the correct formatting should double what it appeared to be so far.
Posts: 92 | Registered: Jun 2005
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posted
The average word length should be between 6 and 8 characters in any piece. It it is significantly different the editor will know by reading the first 13 lines.
Posts: 2 | Registered: Aug 2010
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posted
I prefer Courier, as a fixed font it provides the ability to measure a page in pico or point (for those who remember press and clunk typewriters). I also use Courier for ASCII art because it's pretty universal. When I found out it was a commonly requested font for submissions I was happy not to have to change my files. Posts: 233 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:One further question: My novel is about half written. I want to incldue the index. The website suggeted a cover page which I have not yet created. The problem I had with the index was getting the page numbering correct. Can I have both the cover page and the index in the same file with the novel and the page numbers be correct? If so, how?
In Word, there shouldn't be a problem.
To create a separate first page:
Go to the very beginning of the first page of your document. Hold the CTRL key and press enter. This will create a blank page at the beginning that you can use as your title page.
Open up the "Page Setup" dialogue box under the "File" Menu) and select the "Layout" tab.
In the "Headers and footers" section, there are two boxes you can select. One says, "Different odd and even", the other says, "Different first page". Make sure to put a check-mark in the box next to, "Different first page".
Leave the header on the first page blank. When you open the header on page two (which is page one of your story) the "Header/Footer" toolbar automatically opens. Click on the "Format page number" icon (# with hand). A dialogue box will open. At the very bottom in the "Page numbering" section, Select "Start On:" and enter a "0".
This will make your title page, page #0 (which won't show up), and the start of your story, page #1.
This will also set up the page numbering that will be used when you create the index.
Keep a running list of the words you want to have in your index. You can do this in the document as you go, or at the very end. Since you are already halfway through, it might be easier to wait until you are finished. Just keep a manual list in a notebook of the words you would like to have in your index.
To create an index go to the "Insert" menu at the top and select "Reference" then "Index and Tables...". A pop-up window will open to let you choose the features for your index.
To select the words you want in your index, click on the button: "Mark Entry...". A pop-up window will open called "Mark Index Entry". This window will stay open as you go through your text.
Pull out your list of words you want in your index.
Go to the beginning of your document and start looking for the words and phrases you want in your index. When you find one you want to include, select it with your cursor and click on the "Mark Index Entry" Window. Your selection will automatically appear in the "Main Entry" field.
To mark all instances of that word, click "Mark All".
You can use Word's Indexing feature to cross-reference items and include subentries.
When you have your list marked, select "Close".
Go to the end of your document and hold the CTRL key and press <Enter>. This will create a blank page at the end of your document. type "Index" (or whatever) at the top and press <Enter>.
Then go to "Insert", "Reference", "Index and Tables..."
When the Window comes up, select the formating you would like to have for your index. When the sample window looks the way you want, select "OK".
Your index will appear.
If you go back and make changes to your document after you have already inserted the Index, don't worry.
Right-click with your mouse anywhere in the Index. A little menu will pop-up. Select "Update Field". The index will automatically update with the appropriate page numbers and references.
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