Diary of a Writer #15 - Are You Crazy?

I'm still making submissions to agents – and complying with their various requirements – but then I encountered one agency which proudly announced they were non-digital and only accepted hard-copy submissions sent by post, you know, the snail-mail system people used 20 years ago.

But there was more as they also asked for the following information...

* Your full-length CV or résumé, regardless of whether you have writing experience. We would like to know about your career, where you have lived, where you have travelled and your education.

* The current word count, the date you started, and the number of drafts so far. 

And, finally...

* Your choice of font for your novel is all important. Instead of sticking to your old familiar favourite, you need to review the wonderful selection of fonts that are readily available. Select one that seems particularly appropriate to the period or atmosphere of your work. Your novel will be enhanced by your discriminating choice of font and it will add some character to your submission. Editors and publishers can be intrigued when they have a typescript in a font that they are not already overly familiar with. If in doubt, print out a page of your typescript in different fonts and ask a jury of your friends and family to say which font works best. Having selected your font, use it consistently and do not mix it with others. 

Actually my novel is set in the Middle Ages so I'm guessing a really heavy Gothic style would be most appropriate – albeit impossible to read.