Stupid Question Time!

[queenoftheskies]

Step right up and get your laugh for the day.

I'm formatting novel manuscripts.

When I write, I format for my own ease. Now that I have a partial going out into the world, I figured I'd reformat everything and just work in the correct format from now on.

Here's stupid question #1:

When you swap italics for underline, do you underline each word individually in a sentence? Or the entire sentence (including punctuation) with one line? (The latter is what I'm inclined to do, but I figured I should ask since LJ knows EVERYTHING!)

Stupid question #2:

One, or two? I see this debate periodically. One space between sentences? Or two? Those of you who have submitted, what did you do?

Thanks!

Comments

[lupagreenwolf.livejournal.com]

#1 - I just underline it all.

#2 - teriel got me in the habit of doing two spaces. However, it depends on who's publishing it and what their submission guidelines are--if the guideliness don't say anything, just ask. Worse comes to worst, you can always use the "Replace" function--it's a lot easier than going in and changing it by hand. (My last manuscript had over 3,500 spaces to change--thank every divine being that is for "Replace"!)

[debg.livejournal.com]

My default setting in Word is novel format; it's a standard template set up for me, which makes it nice and easy.

One space between sentences. I've never submitted anything with double spaces between the full stop and the beginning of the next sentence.

And I never underline - I always use italics. But I know that isn't standard, and I have my editor trained.

[telaryn.livejournal.com]

I underline everything in the sentence with a single line. And definitely two spaces between sentences -- that's how I was taught.

[anghara.livejournal.com]

Okay, just go away and don't listen to me because I am a heretic, okay?

But here's the thing. I've submitted MSS with italics in *ACTUAL ITALICS*, you know, and nobody has died. The underlining thing is a carryover from the eary days of typewriters and typesetting and it was important to make CERTAIN that the powers-that-be know what you wanted with italics - but these days it's all done by computer, you give them an electronic file ANYWAY, and I just don't see what the great brouahaha is with the whole idea any more. So far nobody's complained, or got my italics wrong. But hey, don't listen to me. I'm a heretic.

As for question two, again, see above. IT'S A CARRYOVER FROM THE BAD OLD DAYS. One space after a period is QUITE sufficient. I've never used two, and once again, nobody has ever commented on it.

But don't listen to me. I'm a heretic. I submit MSS in Times New Roman instead of Courier, I submit MSS with italics where italics should be instead of underlining everything, I use one space after every piece of punctiation regardless of what ilk it is.

[aberrant1.livejournal.com]

From the POV of someone who's been on the publishing side (textbooks, not novels, but copyediting and layout are copyediting and layout):

Just use italics for italics. The underline thing is a holdover from the days before everyone and their brother was using computers to write. Especially when you're just sending a partial; nobody's going to be typesetting directly from that partial.

Same with the two spaces. They're a holdover from typewriters, when all letters were the same width. When I type in edits to manuscripts at work, I have to run a search/replace and get rid of all the double spaces. Our production manager gets annoyed if I don't do this. So, double spaces don't really make things easier for editors anymore.

[mimerki.livejournal.com]

Continuous underline and I'm pretty sure that however many spaces you've put after a period is fine. Not like seven or something, but I don't expect they'll be like "Oh, and here we have a mere single space between sentences. That's a no-go." So unless the guidelines are specific, don't sweat it.

[shanrina.livejournal.com]

I underline everything, including punctuation. I also only put one space between sentences. I know the underline-for-italics thing is from the typewriter days, but it's such a habit for me now that I just keep doing it.

[zellandyne.livejournal.com]

I'm going to ditto a bunch of people: underlines are a holdover from when typesetting wasn't electronic. That said, I use underlines, but that's because most of the markets I sell to want that. Go with whichever you prefer unless the market says otherwise. If they don't say, they don't care.

As to spaces, I use two spaces, so that the beginnings and endings of sentences jump out at me a bit more. However, I don't think it matters. Pick one and be consistent. Speaking as a teacher, inconsistency annoys the hell out of me, while using one style over another is fine.

One of my profs in college said that "The two things about which there are the most superstitions are sex and grammar." I have to agree with him. In both cases, do what feels right and is ok with the other party. Ignore the rest.

[jmeadows.livejournal.com]

1. Whole thing. If you're subbing in SMF (with Courier), it really is easier for people to read italics with underlines, rather than italics. The Courier italics don't stand out as much as, say, Times New Roman.

2. Doesn't matter. I used to use two and I'd die before changing, but then I discovered one space made the pagecount smaller. It doesn't really matter either way, though, unless the guidelines say.

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

don't underline ~ use italics.

all the underline does is tell the press that the word should be in italics. this is a holdover from pre-computer days.

if you can do italics, do them.

: D

[tunskit.livejournal.com]

It is my understanding that with the advent and ease of computer technology, you simply italicize what is meant to be italicized. Like double spaces between sentences, it's an antiquated practice. All of my publishers have used one space between sentences, and you turn in the manuscript with italics.

HTH.

[icepicklobotomy.livejournal.com]

This should answer all your questions:

http://www.shunn.net/writing/coach/format.html

However as long as your formatting is generally okay nobody will return a manuscript because of the number of spaces. Underlining is still preferred although the whole thing is out of date.
Even the monospaced font thing is out of date, but still do it since it gives the impression that you're at least trying to be professional.

Hope it helps.

[evilmissbecky.livejournal.com]

1. I leave my italics as italics when I submit. I use Times New Roman as my font, however, and the italics stand out more than if I were to use Courier.

2. Just one space.

[the-outlaw.livejournal.com]

The publishing company I work for (textbooks, not novels) uses only one space between sentences (a carryover from when books were typeset with individual metal characters and not laser plating as each character cost money). I write all my own mss with single spaces between sentences.

As for underlining, the technical answer is that if the entirety of the sentence is italicized then so should the punctuation. If it's only partial, then the punctuation should not. Personally, I don't like italicized punctuation and if I can get away with not doing it, I try not to. :)

[kimberlycreates.livejournal.com]

According to CMS15, all punctuation should be "in the same font--roman or italic--as the main or surrounding text" except for titles (e.g., don't italicize punction at the end of a title unless the puncutation is part of the title). But ... CMS15 also says that "according to a more traditional system" only periods, commas, colons, and semicolons should be italicized, exclamations and question marks should not. I'd go with the first option personally, but you'll probably find that there are some publishers who prefer the second, "more traditional" option. So ultimately, pick whichever one you prefer and stick with it. :)

Use a single space at the end of a setence and after colons.

[madwriter.livejournal.com]

(1) I underline everything--I was told once that this makes it easier for the copy editors and typesetters to find it. Either way, it makes it easier for me to find it later.

(2) I generally two spaces after a period. This seems to be common practice at least among speculative magazines and book publishers; common enough so that if they don't want it, they'll say so in the guidelines.