Formats for novel writing (any professional writers, please answer)?

Question

I am 17 years old right now and always loved writing. I am thinking of sending a manuscript to a publisher, and I was wondering the format that is the best. Is fourteen pt. Times New Roman ok? 12 pt. always seemed to small to me, and Courier is just ugly and thin. Also for those of you who are published professional writers, how does your office/workspace look? Also what is your schedule for writing? Like time you wake up, etc. Just curious. THANKSS!

Answer 1

Like the others said, you need to check with the publisher to find out their submission guidelines.

Here's an article I found that you might think is helpful called "Manuscript Formatting for Beginners":
http://www.speculations.com/format.html

Answer 2

Ying, I think it's great that you want to write and become published. Here's the tough answer: you need to know the publisher's preference. Check out their web site and see what they're asking for. I'm published in the romance genre, and have submitted for several years, and although TNR and Courier New are the most common, what pt. they want, or how they'd like the page formatted (single-spaced, double spaced, exact to a certain pt., or a certain word count per page) can easily vary by publisher. So check out their web site. Most of them have guidelines posted.

As for a writing schedule, I work full time, so I try to write for a couple of hours each day, or to a certain word count. Currently, this is when I wake up, since I'm working in the evenings, but usually it's right when I arrive home from work.

Answer 3

I don't want to disillusion you but no legitimate publisher will look at a manuscript sent to them 'cold-turkey.'
There are many phoney publishing companies out there.
I've been published twice by Macmillan and recall sitting in my editor's office in NYC.
There was a pile of books on the floor next to his seat behind his desk. While we were talking he'd pick one off the pile, flip the pages and remark something like, "Can you imagine, they expect me to look at this tripe?"
Then toss the book on the floor.
Afterwards, I asked his secretary, how many books did he ever look at.
She told me that he only looked at books that were presented by an agent he was familiar with.
My agent told me that was the way most publishers work.
In other words, without a good agent, you don't stand a chance.
There are a lot of phoney agents out there and there are 'self-publishing' companies that are generally a rip-off.
My workspace is a desk with my computer, a bookshelf with a good dictionary, thesaurus, Harbrace College Handbook, all of J.R.R. Tolkein's books, several of Ernest Hemmingway's books - which you MUST read because he gives you an insight into how a GOOD writer writes (see how many - actually how few - punctuation marks he has per page - I believe I read one of his books that didn't have a puncrtuation mark (including NO periods) for several pages.
You don't need to be an English major, you need to be a born writer.
By the way, romance novels are one of the few types of publishers if not the only type that will accept manuscripts directly from the author.

Answer 4

Well, depending on which publisher you're at, Times New Roman 12 pt is standard. The two I write for at this point like that standard as well as double space lines.
Heh. *glancing around my own workspace* Would you believe mine's a mess? When I get writing I totally forget to clean up everything. As to a schedule? Whenever my muse hits me over the head with a sledgehammer. :D

However, if you're truly worried about what font to use, check with the people you want to submit a book to. They usually have submission guidelines to help you. Hope this is useful.
DianeT

Answer 5

Honestly, it depends on the publisher.

Write it with what's comfortable for you and then when you find the guidelines, just select all the text and alter it.

I do 11 pt Arial, double spaced.

My workspace is pretty clean, and my schedule is just about what it'd be if I had an office job. I wake up in the morning, read for three hours(you need to read if you write) and then write for four. Occasionally I do more, but that's usually it.

Answer 6

If you're going to submit, you're going to have to use 12-Courier--along with the standard formatting/submission guidelines.

Anything less will get you rejected.

My schedule for writing is daily. Afternoons or late evenings.