Topic: Formatting agent submissions in Gmail

Hey everyone,

Does anyone know how to double-space in Gmail? I've done some googling and can't find a good answer. I ask this because I noticed almost all lit agents request double spacing in their sample chapter submissions. They also say to follow their submission guidelines "EXACTLY."

Whenever I try to double space, it doesn't work and I end up not double spacing, thus not following their submission guidelines "EXACTLY."

querytracker.net also has terrible formatting controls as well.

It seems like a Catch-22.

Any help will be appreciated.

I have had some responses on submissions that were not double spaced, but it always hangs in the back of my mind that I have not submitted correctly.

Thanks and cheers,

Dae D. Shields

Quote Post 1

Re: Formatting agent submissions in Gmail

Couldn't you double-space it in an external editor and Copy/Paste it into Gmail?

Bill

Quote Post 2

Re: Formatting agent submissions in Gmail

Dae - can’t you double-space the manuscript and either attach it or paste onto the email, depending on the  guidelines?

Quote Post 3

Re: Formatting agent submissions in Gmail

Hi Dae.

I feel your pain.
I've had all kinds of problems with wonky formatting and trying to meet the requirements of various agents/publishers. This one wants double space, that one wants 1.5 spaces, another wants no tabs to indent paragraphs, etc. QueryManager is a bitch on formatting, too. It doesn't matter whether you do the original text in Google docs or MS Word, it comes out all sort of f'd up half the time.

I have resorted to actually pasting it using the "paste as plain text" selection then going through and manually spacing each line where it needs to be. I don't do that on a complete manuscript submission, of course, but for a few pages, it's a pain in the butt but it works. I don't have problems pasting into the body of an email but for those who use submission forms, it's a battle royale sometimes.

Apparently, this is the cross a writer must bear.....

Quote Post 4

Re: Formatting agent submissions in Gmail

I agree with Bill and Jack's suggestions--it's what I'd do.

Quote Post 5

Re: Formatting agent submissions in Gmail

Hey everyone,

Thanks for the responses. It's all a great help. I'm kind of where Bobbie is, just forcing it to work and hope it still looks the same on their side when the agent gets it. Hope everyone is well. It's sunny in Seattle today, so that's something. Haha. 

Cheers,

Dae D. Shields

Quote Post 6

Re: Formatting agent submissions in Gmail

I'd send as an attachement. KL

Quote Post 7

Re: Formatting agent submissions in Gmail

I will try that. Thanks for the help.

Quote Post 8

Re: Formatting agent submissions in Gmail

Unless the submission guidelines note that an attachment is okay, keep in mind that many people don't open Word files from unknown senders.

Quote Post 9

Re: Formatting agent submissions in Gmail

No reputable agent will open an attachment unless specifically requested by them. Take care. Vern

Quote Post 10