Last time I checked up on this in any detail - about five years ago - I read that agents/publishers liked to get their MSS in 12-point Courier. I just saw on a link to a US site Emma posted that 12-point Times New Roman is the thing now. What's your view, anyone?

Personally I've always thought Courier looked awful. The rationale for Courier, as I recall, was that, being a non-proportional font, agents/editors could more easily get a feel for the number of words. (I get a feel for the number of words by getting Word to do a word count, and I give the agent a feel by telling him.) Certainly a serif-font like TNR is easier on the eye.

Whaddya think? Best wishes, Ikastes.

Ikastes,

Personally, I send out the first three chapters in 12 pt TNR and then I ask the agent if they have any personal font/style preferences if they ask for the full manuscript.

Ashlinn

I use Courier 12 (New) because it looks like typewriting to me. I've not had my agent or publisher comment on this - although I suspect they may have reformatted it for their own internal purposes. It's all going to be typeset in the end in something else.

Which is not to say that other agents/editors may require something specific.

The reason I use Courier is because it was recommended by Lisa Jewell on a website somewhere. I tried it and liked it.

Jim

Courier's a remnant from the days when typewriters didn't do anything else. I agree that with Ikastes that it looks awful, not being proportionally spaced, and also uses up a lot of paper.

I think I'm right in thinking that script agencies still insist on Courier - something to do with judging the length, perhaps? I don't know. Apart from them, I don't think most agents and editors give a hoot exactly what the typeface is.

The main thing is readable (which in my book means a seriffed face), big enough, and a standard font that will reliably come out the same whatever soft or hardware anyone's using. If someone's prescribing 12pt TNR, that's because they know that works and they'll get something they can read. So why risk anything else? Okay, it's a very boring typeface, but boring is good in this context. The other thing is that TNR uses less paper than any other possible font in 12pt - I know, I've tried. That's why the Times typographers designed it that way. For what it's worth, being tight-fisted/green and writing long novels, I use 11pt and double-spacing, and I've had no complaints.

I think using 12pt TNR and asking for any preference later is good plan. Chances are you'll be told they don't mind at all. Half the time the typesetters will be re-keying it anyway.

Emma