BootsnAll Travel Community

For anyone who has been published in magazine or book format, what have you found to be the preferred formatting for your work when it is sent to the editor?

I found a lot of info which states how desperately important it is to follow the format of using a mono-spaced font, double spacing, returning only one line and indenting paragraphs, using a # to identify a line break, etc.

But, then I've talked to some editors and writers who say that they don't do any of that or expect to see any of that.

How do you format your copy?

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[Still Wandering] [Halcyon Climbing]

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How do you format your copy?

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However the editor wants it. Generally, publications and sites have submission guidelines. For a lot of them, not following the guidelines (sometimes down to where you put the paperclip) means your piece is going straight to the bin. To their mind, if you haven't bothered to read their submission guidelines, then they don't want to find out what else you haven't bothered with.

The key is to always, always, always check with the editor.

You're right: some won't care. Most do. Just find out whether or not that editor does. If they want it in Courier 10 with a 1" left margine and a 1.25" right margin, then by all means give it to 'em.

Also find out if they prefer print or electronic submission, or if there's a formate they don't accept (there are still a lot of places, even in 2003, that don't take e-submissions).

I know that's probably not as specific as you were hoping, but that's how it goes: find out. If they say they don't have a preference though, the things you noted ("mono-spaced font, double spacing, returning only one line and indenting paragraphs, using a # to identify a line break, etc) should suffice.

Cheers, Anthony

Follow Ant and PhotoChick around India & Thailand:

http://blogs.bootsnall.com/claudia/

None of the guidelines I have in my collection mention anything about formatting (more concerned with the writing or file format) so I guess I'll just have to ask upon acceptance.

Thanks Ant.

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[Still Wandering] [Halcyon Climbing]