tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post5976349992672269692..comments2023-10-31T10:59:03.023-04:00Comments on INKSPOT Crime Fiction Blog | A Place for Mystery, Mayhem, Writing and Life: Judging a BookLinda O. Johnstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01512430135042480450noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-8163627417095404912009-12-06T17:08:39.123-05:002009-12-06T17:08:39.123-05:00Anonymous - It never occurred to me to put "0...Anonymous - It never occurred to me to put "0" (zero) in the "Start at" box, as Microsoft recommends at the link you provided, but that does make sense. I'll give it a try.G.M. Malliethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805971625496094303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-18717547380995685052009-12-05T11:14:47.005-05:002009-12-05T11:14:47.005-05:00http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/hp012276571...http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word/hp012276571033.aspx<br /><br />This is another way to get that pesky number off the first page.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-49451410082574618802009-12-04T15:58:20.045-05:002009-12-04T15:58:20.045-05:00Mike - For some reason, I associate Courier New wi...Mike - For some reason, I associate Courier New with scriptwriting, but of course it's a standard font and fine for manuscripts, too.G.M. Malliethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805971625496094303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-6157728659673331222009-12-04T15:35:40.297-05:002009-12-04T15:35:40.297-05:00Good advice, Gin. What do you think about Courier...Good advice, Gin. What do you think about Courier New? It's got a serif and it's pretty easy to read.Mike Dennishttp://mikedennisnoir.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-14511060566480472042009-12-04T11:46:40.304-05:002009-12-04T11:46:40.304-05:00Great tips, Gin! I am a second round judge for the...Great tips, Gin! I am a second round judge for the mystery/suspense/intrigue and short story categories of the Pikes Peak Writers contest, have been for years. As a second round judge, I'm brought in to review a submittal if the scores of the first two judges differ by more than a certain %.<br /><br />I can tell you, there's nothing that turns me off a submission faster than the writer not having a basic grasp of the rules of grammar and punctuation and not having thoroughly spell-checked their submittal. The basics count, folks!Beth Groundwaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13999372882748655834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-5633701694165091652009-12-04T11:24:29.524-05:002009-12-04T11:24:29.524-05:00Terri - as aquisitions editor, you certainly know ...Terri - as aquisitions editor, you certainly know whereof you speak! <br /><br />I find reading online difficult but I do applaud MI's conservation efforts.<br /><br />[One thing I forgot to mention is authors should use 1-inch margins, all around the page.]G.M. Malliethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805971625496094303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-2453061129318700142009-12-04T11:22:07.444-05:002009-12-04T11:22:07.444-05:00Gin - You are a generous (and brave) soul for bein...Gin - You are a generous (and brave) soul for being a judge. Great tips, too! I guess it all boils down to making things clean and easy to read. Then the words themselves can jump off the page.Alan Orloffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695574442723430347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-83929955712049563162009-12-04T11:12:16.827-05:002009-12-04T11:12:16.827-05:00Elizabeth - oh yes! & manuscripts continue to ...Elizabeth - oh yes! & manuscripts continue to arrive.G.M. Malliethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805971625496094303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-72602312967603664042009-12-04T10:29:31.719-05:002009-12-04T10:29:31.719-05:00Gin--Good tips! Not everybody knows this...which e...Gin--Good tips! Not everybody knows this...which explains why slush piles have such a bad name!<br /><br />Hope the judging goes a little better..are you still reading submissions? <br /><br />Elizabeth<br /><a href="http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"> Mystery Writing is Murder</a>Elizabeth Spann Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15625595247828274405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-33439184323218826062009-12-04T10:27:37.494-05:002009-12-04T10:27:37.494-05:00What a great post! Sitting here with a virtual pi...What a great post! Sitting here with a virtual pile of submissions, I kept nodding and saying yep, you go girl.<br /><br />I would add - read the publishers submission guidelines and follow them. You wouldn't believe, or maybe you would, the partial submissions I receive. Drives me nuts!<br /><br />And you won't anger the recycling gods around here - I only accept emailed submissions. Only if it's promising do I print it out.<br /><br />Best of luck with the judging - it's a tough job - but exciting as well.Terri Bischoffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-29473006189260678402009-12-04T09:44:18.766-05:002009-12-04T09:44:18.766-05:00Jess - as to photogenic people including a photo: ...Jess - as to photogenic people including a photo: I have the strange idea this might help in the case of a non-fiction book, but it could hurt in the case of a fiction book. Why I think this I do not know.<br /><br />Cricket and Sue Ann - So *that's* how it's done, by using sections! I really didn't know and this has bugged me for years. <br /><br />Also, Cricket, I love it that you are acting as a mentor.G.M. Malliethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13805971625496094303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-4414436307959517052009-12-04T09:35:10.407-05:002009-12-04T09:35:10.407-05:00Excellent advice, Gin, and information we old hand...Excellent advice, Gin, and information we old hands take for granted. My two cents: Don't spend your money on special software for writing novels. Just set up a basic template and use that everytime ... it's free and doesn't require upgrades.<br /><br />It's easy to start new page numbering wherever you need it. Insert a "section break" instead of a "page break" at the end of the title page by using the "insert" tab on tool bar. Next select "header/footer" under "format" on toolbar to bring up the header/footer toolbar. Click on the icon for "page number format" and turn on the feature "start at" under page numbering. You can then tell the document to start this page at any number you wish. If you leave it on "continue from previous section" it will continue numbering in the usual manner.<br /><br />Hope this helps.Sue Ann Jaffarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09984054116933714621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-41707895517859577752009-12-04T09:08:25.388-05:002009-12-04T09:08:25.388-05:00Terrific information, Gin. I'm mentoring a loc...Terrific information, Gin. I'm mentoring a local sophopmore as she writes a novel for her school project. One of her goals is to learn how to approach publishers and agents, and this is stellar advice to give her.<br /><br />I've also heard that serif fonts on hard copy are easier to read, but that sans serif fonts are easier to read online. <br /><br />Last time I used a title page you could insert a section break after it and start numbering the second section. It's been a while, though...<br /><br />Good luck with your judging!Cricket McRaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786996969148417569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-67039610035229436842009-12-04T08:45:26.729-05:002009-12-04T08:45:26.729-05:00This is excellent advice all around, Gin--simple a...This is excellent advice all around, Gin--simple and true, and as you say, so "obvious" that no one ever tells anyone. You've done writers, agents, and editors a favor!<br /><br />This made me giggle in the early morning:<br /><br />"You are trying to get published, so the recycling gods will probably forgive you."<br /><br />I also like your reasoning for not using a cover page. I also don't know how to make my word processing program start numbering with "one" on the second page and so when a cover page is called for, I create a second document for that.<br /><br />I read somewhere, actually a newspaper article about five years ago when I was still working on my first manuscript, that if you're an attractive person, you should include a photo of yourself in your query letter because marketing is such a huge part of book sales, and "pretty" people sell more books. I don't know if it'd snag a book deal, but maybe a date?<br /><br />Thanks for being a writing contest judge!Jessica Loureyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11157662092822156124noreply@blogger.com