Arial 12 font

[wherethereisawillandallthat]

Is it true that this standard in the industry when submitting to agents or publishers?
It is huge and looks a bit like the books I read when I was 4 and learning to read...
And apparently we must indent, which surely is a practice which went out with the ark??
Very confused.

[everythingcrossed]

I though Times New Roman was preferred font but, you're right, 12 is the preferred size. Not heard about indentation- is this an American requirement? They seem much keener on old-fashioned points of punctuation than we in the UK are.

[Carryonkeepinggoing]

Write how ever you want, then play with the paragraph and font settings afterwards to suit whatever publisher you’re sending your text to. The styles function is your friend too. Never make changes manually, it’s far too much work.

[wherethereisawillandallthat]

@Carryonkeepinggoing

Write how ever you want, then play with the paragraph and font settings afterwards to suit whatever publisher you’re sending your text to. The styles function is your friend too. Never make changes manually, it’s far too much work.

yes, you are right, I do that - I just wondered about the font to send to agents or publishers. I don't think the advice is wrong, I just wanted to hear it from more people as it goes against the grain so much.
Are there any agents or publishers here who could comment?

[SirenSays]

I read somewhere they don't like it because the I L and 1 all look the same.

[LouisaMayAlcott]

I use Times New Roman for my manuscripts, double space, size 12.

[wherethereisawillandallthat]

@LouisaMayAlcott

I use Times New Roman for my manuscripts, double space, size 12.

Thank you - are you a published author (assuming so because of the "s" at the end of manuscripts!) and have you any idea what agents and publishers think?

[LouisaMayAlcott]

@wherethereisawillandallthat

Thank you - are you a published author (assuming so because of the "s" at the end of manuscripts!) and have you any idea what agents and publishers think?

Yes I'm published by one of the big five and nobody (neither my agent or editor) has ever questioned my choice of font.

[wherethereisawillandallthat]

@LouisaMayAlcott

Yes I'm published by one of the big five and nobody (neither my agent or editor) has ever questioned my choice of font.

Thank you!

[RaRaRamen]

I work for a publisher and regularly receive manuscripts. We don't mind what typeface or font size you use as long as it's legible and not a "joke" typeface like comic sans or papyrus! 12 is large. I would use Times size 11, but that's just personal pref. Good luck!

[Mrwhoeveriam]

I think it is the film people who are really fussy. A page of Times new Roman 12pt or was it Courier was one minute of running.

[JeandeServiette]

@Mrwhoeveriam

I think it is the film people who are really fussy. A page of Times new Roman 12pt or was it Courier was one minute of running.

Yes, one page per min run time, on average.

IIRC, Final Draft helps a lot with script formatting.

[OhComeOnFFS]

Times New Roman, 12, double spacing is the standard.

[Grammarnut]

@everythingcrossed

I though Times New Roman was preferred font but, you're right, 12 is the preferred size. Not heard about indentation- is this an American requirement? They seem much keener on old-fashioned points of punctuation than we in the UK are.

I use TNR for myself, and whatever format/font is required if the piece is being submitted somewhere. I indent new paragraphs - otherwise, you can end with what looks like a huge block of text. I also indent for speech. I don't indent the first paragraph of any new section, whether it is prose or speech, however. Neither do I indent the first line of a chapter ditto.

[MatureChedda]

There is a move towards fonts like Arial for accessibility reasons- they’re more readable and so encouraged in some parts of publishing and academia. So you may see it requested sometimes but it’s definitely not standard yet, at least in the UK.