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telophase ([info]telophase) wrote in [info]otf_wank,
@ 2006-03-20 18:07:00


Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Courier = retarded
A nonfiction copy editor discovers a set of submission guidelines written up by a fiction copy editor, which has her WTFing about the fiction industry's standards. Once the link starts getting around the net, cue small, properly punctuated, wank.


(Post a new comment)


[info]kadath
2006-03-21 01:24 am UTC (link)
Heh, I know most of the people smacking her down. Jay Lake FTW.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]crickets
2006-03-21 05:42 am UTC (link)
Followed closely by scott_lynch and gadarene. Whee, it's my second Scott Lynch fangirling of the day! And lilyvalley still just doesn't. get. it. *eyeroll*

I'm not understanding all the Courier hate, but I guess I'm one of those "plain text e-mails, dammit!" throwbacks, heh.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]chaimonkey, 2006-03-21 07:00 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kadath, 2006-03-21 03:07 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]jadelennox, 2006-03-22 06:37 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]telophase, 2006-03-22 06:38 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]jadelennox, 2006-03-22 06:41 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]kadath, 2006-03-23 05:08 am UTC

[info]sabinelagrande
2006-03-21 01:30 am UTC (link)
This reminds me of a professional anthropological writing seminar I went to. The basic jist was "We don't really care if you write it down on the back of a coaster in red pen, just as long as your evidence is good."

Which is one of the many compelling reasons why I'm majoring in anthro, not English.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]telophase
2006-03-21 01:56 am UTC (link)
My anthro professors were slightly stricter than that when it came to manuscript format and citation style, but they had nuthin' on the profs in library school who were fearsome about sticking to Turabian.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]sabinelagrande, 2006-03-21 02:21 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]tekenduis, 2006-03-21 02:36 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]waltraute, 2006-03-21 03:36 am UTC

[info]wrongly_amused
2006-03-21 02:36 am UTC (link)
Really? I would think anthropology was one of the sectors that required APA format, a type of essay setting that makes me want to slit my wrists with the edges of my computer paper, ala myspace pseuicide.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]ravenscanary, 2006-03-21 02:42 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]wrongly_amused, 2006-03-21 02:57 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]yubsie, 2006-03-21 03:05 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]issendai, 2006-03-21 04:48 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]telophase, 2006-03-21 04:56 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]ravenscanary, 2006-03-21 05:30 am UTC
(no subject) - kroki_refur, 2006-03-21 09:02 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]breecita, 2006-03-21 05:30 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]ravenscanary, 2006-03-21 03:05 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]chaimonkey, 2006-03-21 08:23 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]wrongly_amused, 2006-03-21 01:51 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]chaimonkey, 2006-03-21 06:05 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]telophase, 2006-03-21 05:55 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]chaimonkey, 2006-03-21 06:05 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]luthe, 2006-03-21 09:02 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sabinelagrande, 2006-03-21 03:31 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]number13baby, 2006-03-21 09:50 am UTC

[info]jaseroque
2006-03-21 01:56 pm UTC (link)
I have a friend in the maths/sciences department who realized, late one night while slightly drunk, that he hadn't done an assignment due the next day. It was a bunch of equations, so he grabbed his friend, they sat down with the only thing that came to hand, and did them in a few hours.

The next day, he calmly handed the professor a bunch of pizza boxes, with equations written all over them.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]notjo, 2006-03-22 01:02 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]jaseroque, 2006-03-22 01:07 pm UTC

[info]emiweebee
2006-03-21 02:03 am UTC (link)
And here I thought everyone knew Courier was the font of slackers.

While I think font should be considered (especially if you want to use one of those "handwriting" fonts, or those unprofessional looking sans serifs), I've never, ever seen font-related academia wank. Just use Times in a bigger size/larger line spacing.

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]ravenscanary
2006-03-21 02:43 am UTC (link)
"God damn it all to hell! The paper has to be 10 pages and I'm only at eight and a half!"

"No one taught you the magic, did they?"

"Magic?"

*changes font from Arial to Courier, making paper instantly ten and a half pages long*

"Dude.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]luthe, 2006-03-21 02:46 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mcity, 2006-03-22 09:00 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sarahkjrsten, 2006-03-24 04:39 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]nekoneko, 2006-03-21 02:48 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]smo, 2006-03-21 02:52 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]nevadafighter, 2006-03-21 03:40 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]slavekitty, 2006-03-21 10:24 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]wrongly_amused, 2006-03-21 02:58 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]ravenscanary, 2006-03-21 03:05 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]wrongly_amused, 2006-03-21 03:09 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]telesilla, 2006-03-21 05:21 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]telophase, 2006-03-21 05:25 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mookie, 2006-03-21 05:37 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]crickets, 2006-03-21 07:28 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]silrana, 2006-03-21 06:08 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]rachel_pi, 2006-03-21 10:01 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mousy_345e4, 2006-03-22 07:28 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mcity, 2006-03-22 09:01 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]mookie, 2006-03-21 05:18 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]telophase, 2006-03-21 05:22 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mookie, 2006-03-21 05:30 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]telophase, 2006-03-21 05:37 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mookie, 2006-03-21 05:39 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]telophase, 2006-03-21 05:44 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]michmatch, 2006-03-21 04:51 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ravenscanary, 2006-03-21 05:24 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mookie, 2006-03-21 05:32 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]princessdot, 2006-03-21 05:44 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]telophase, 2006-03-21 05:48 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]kookaburra, 2006-03-21 08:19 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]funwithrage, 2006-03-21 06:45 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]sarracenia, 2006-03-21 07:45 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]tangentialone, 2006-03-21 09:34 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]beandelphiki, 2006-03-22 02:39 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]tangentialone, 2006-03-22 07:28 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]sarracenia, 2006-03-22 05:00 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]tangentialone, 2006-03-22 07:30 am UTC
(no subject) - kroki_refur, 2006-03-21 09:05 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]prettypinkkitty, 2006-03-21 05:48 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tangentialone, 2006-03-21 09:36 am UTC
(no subject) - verthandi, 2006-03-21 04:54 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]issendai, 2006-03-21 02:52 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]cleolinda, 2006-03-21 03:00 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]wrongly_amused, 2006-03-21 03:05 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]cleolinda, 2006-03-21 03:18 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]telophase, 2006-03-21 03:37 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]ecchaniz0r, 2006-03-21 03:52 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]emiweebee, 2006-03-21 03:55 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ecchaniz0r, 2006-03-21 04:32 pm UTC
Frick yes. - [info]mcity, 2006-03-22 08:59 pm UTC

[info]herongale
2006-03-21 02:36 am UTC (link)
I don't think your reasons are very good ones. Personally, I'm just glad I ended up in the field I did. :P

I think she's just jealous. :(

(Reply to this)


[info]issendai
2006-03-21 03:01 am UTC (link)
I'm trying to figure out how a copy editor who started work before 1986 didn't know about the Courier-only rule. When she began, typewriters were still the standard tool of the trade, Courier was still the standard font on both typewriters and computers, and other fonts printed so badly that requiring Courier font was a defensive maneuver on the editors' part. Many houses wouldn't even take computer-printed manuscripts because dot matrix was so heinous to read. Italics just didn't exist unless you had a good computer--which made them almost completely illegible in dot matrix. Underlining was the only safe way to indicate italics.

It's one thing for her to be surprised that fiction presses are still following the old standards, another thing to have forgotten how and why the old standards existed in the first place.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]frequentmouse, 2006-03-21 06:56 am UTC

catatonia
2006-03-21 03:18 am UTC (link)
The OP called someone a cunt.

*snickers*

*is juvenile*

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]mookie, 2006-03-21 05:19 am UTC

flightstothesea
2006-03-21 03:31 am UTC (link)
According to the writing workshop I was in for a while, fiction publishers want you to use Courier because:

1. Like pallasathene said, they can tell how long it is.

2. It's monospaced, so you can read it better (you can read an entire line in a glance).

I'm sure there are lots of other reasons. Also, I want to kick lilyvalley in the head, with her fucking ":P" face. Dipshit.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]bubosquared, 2006-03-21 07:12 am UTC
(no subject) - flightstothesea, 2006-03-21 07:30 am UTC

rachelthedemon
2006-03-21 03:31 am UTC (link)
Dear [info]lilyvalley,

The novel industries standards, while archaic, still beat your debate skills by at least a couple centuries. Come back when you've learned to respond to intellectual pwnage with something other than name-calling.

Many bricks to the head,
Me

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]kadath, 2006-03-21 04:39 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mookie, 2006-03-21 01:48 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]jadelennox, 2006-03-22 06:40 pm UTC

[info]frequentmouse
2006-03-21 03:36 am UTC (link)
As obnoxious as the OP is, the wankers invading her journal are at least as wanky, and possibly more juvenile, in the fashion of middle-school teacher's pets.

The blog page which started it all is as ugly and unreadable as anything I've ever seen.

Finally, if this is the standard of production for pro fic, no wonder the publishing industry has been growing less profitable every decade since I started paying attention to it when I was in highschool.



(Reply to this)


[info]zaliesiren
2006-03-21 03:41 am UTC (link)
Dude, screw the wank. The wanna-be writer over here is taking mad notes. *scribbles*

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]silrana, 2006-03-21 01:19 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]zaliesiren, 2006-03-21 02:57 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]silrana, 2006-03-21 03:29 pm UTC

[info]mookie
2006-03-21 05:24 am UTC (link)
OK, I realize that picking on typos must violate some sort of law, but I can't help being amused by not one, but two, in the same sentence:

Than it's impoossible, because the "industry" demands it. heh.

Amazing how much more the use of homophones and typos stand out when the posters are actually literate.

Now I will hit the Post Comment button and hope that I've avoided that Murphy's Law of "He who points out bad spelling shall be guilty of it himself".

Let he who never makes a mistake cast the first pink rubber eraser and all that.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]ecchaniz0r, 2006-03-21 03:54 pm UTC

[info]heddychaa
2006-03-21 06:38 am UTC (link)
I'm mostly insulted by this wank because well damnit... I *like* Courier!

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]bubosquared, 2006-03-21 07:16 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]chaimonkey, 2006-03-21 08:29 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]wanktastic, 2006-03-21 07:18 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]banban, 2006-03-21 10:20 am UTC

[info]grand_sealink
2006-03-21 06:50 am UTC (link)
Wow. What a bitch.

Sounds like me on a rock rant.

SCHIST SHOULD BE NO WHERE NEAR DIATOMITE RANT RANT etc. It's really rather embarassing. She should be ashamed of being such a juvenile pissant.

(Reply to this)


[info]chaimonkey
2006-03-21 06:58 am UTC (link)
Pissy little bookworms, aren't we?

(Reply to this)


[info]tunxeh
2006-03-21 07:31 am UTC (link)
Now I too want to know to which portion of the female anatomy the word "twat" properly refers.

*only cares about submission standards when authors grossly violate page limits, or use 8pt times with no margins in an attempt to evade them*

(Reply to this)


[info]randomsome1
2006-03-21 08:42 am UTC (link)
And it was so small and cute this morning!

(Reply to this)


[info]tangentialone
2006-03-21 09:44 am UTC (link)
*likes Courier, personally*

TO ARMS!

I bet she likes it justified.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]dark_puck, 2006-03-21 09:10 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]aegflota, 2006-03-21 10:47 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]mcity, 2006-03-22 09:06 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]tangentialone, 2006-03-23 07:39 am UTC

[info]fourthage
2006-03-21 05:20 pm UTC (link)
Different area or not, lilyvalley's not too smart to be rude to so many people in her industry. That's gonna come back and bite her in the ass.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]issendai, 2006-03-21 10:48 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]fourthage, 2006-03-24 04:03 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]issendai, 2006-03-24 02:43 pm UTC

[info]aegflota
2006-03-21 10:51 pm UTC (link)
I probably shouldn't have called that copyeditor retarded. Though I do have more experience than her. She might read for the big boys in fiction, but I read for the big boys in medical publishing.

Fame, man. FAME.

(Reply to this)


[info]didodiva
2006-03-22 02:09 am UTC (link)
You know, as big of a wanker as Lilyvalley is being (and admits to being, which makes things at least slightly better), Pennyland is about as bad. Someone surgically remove that person's passive aggressive gene, stat!

Personally, as a little short story (with a lot of that being fan fiction) writer who hasn't looked yet looked into publishing standards, I didn't know this Courier rule. I'll agree with several others that it's an ick font. I just find it and similar fonts like TNR hard to read due to their rough appearence. Ariel all the way! But unlike Lillyvalley I see there are valid reasons for publishers preferring it and accept that.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]telophase, 2006-03-22 02:25 am UTC

 
   
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