Gmail queries and italics

[Holly]

Oops, I somehow edited out my original question, which was:

Monday, January 17, I plan to send out queries from my gmail account. I have a few things in italics -- short fiction credits in the query letter and thoughts in my sample pages. Gmail knocks out all italics, plus won't let me underline.

Would it be cheesy to include a line at the end of the query letter that says Note: text uses some italics which may not appear.

[Evelyn]

Hi Holly,

Congratulations on your big step forward!

I also am using Gmail to send my queries; I read somewhere that it is permissable to use all caps for a book title, and this is what I am doing.

I was at a workshop a few months ago where the teacher (an agent) said that you can use a smaller font, also in caps, for a book title that isn't yours. In effect, she was recommending that your book's title be more visually prominent than any other title. (I have no idea what Gmail would do to that, however.) She also said that it may not be a good idea to sprinkle too many other titles in your query because it takes attention away from your own book.

Hope this helps! Other people may have advice also (I'll be watching too!)

Evelyn

[Holly]

Hi, Evelyn. Thanks for your reply and the good wishes.

I do know about all caps for my book title. I am concerned about the use of italics for short fiction credits (magazines and newspapers), plus I use a few italics to show thoughts in my sample pages.

Good luck to you, too.

*Update* I decided not to use gmail because of this issue -- I'll just use my regular internet service.

[cheekychook]

Oops, I somehow edited out my original question, which was:

Monday, January 17, I plan to send out queries from my gmail account. I have a few things in italics -- short fiction credits in the query letter and thoughts in my sample pages. Gmail knocks out all italics, plus won't let me underline.

Would it be cheesy to include a line at the end of the query letter that says Note: text uses some italics which may not appear.

I use gmail for my queries. Write whatever it is you're writing, paste it into Notepad, copy it and paste it into gmail, use gmail to add the italics back. Not all agents will get italics in their incoming message, but it shouldn't mess up your email in any other way. Try a few tests by emailing it to your other email accounts.

Don't add a disclaimer. Agents are very well aware of the fact that emails go wonky all the time. Do your best to keep things like italics to a minimum, but where they're preferred or necessary put them in (knowing that a few people may not see them as italicized). Don't stress too much about it. And good luck!

[cheekychook]

Hi, Evelyn. Thanks for your reply and the good wishes.

I do know about all caps for my book title. I am concerned about the use of italics for short fiction credits (magazines and newspapers), plus I use a few italics to show thoughts in my sample pages.

Good luck to you, too.

*Update* I decided not to use gmail because of this issue -- I'll just use my regular internet service.

The way the agent sees an email received from your regular internet service may not look any different than one from you gmail account---it's all a matter of whose settings are set what way. Try sending the emails to your other accounts (as many different ones as possible) and a few friends so you can get an idea of how it's looking to everyone. "Unformatting" on notepad and then adding back minimal formatting is still your safest way to go no matter what email you decide to use.

[Holly]

I use gmail for my queries. Write whatever it is you're writing, paste it into Notepad, copy it and paste it into gmail, use gmail to add the italics back...

Hi, cheekychook. Thanks for both comments and the good wishes -- and best of luck to you, too.

The problem with gmail is I can't find any way to add italics. I went through the gmail settings and help feature and can't see any buttons or anything -- so I've given up on gmail. Do you have any tips?

People send queries as text only all the time. How do they indicate italics with text only? Is there a code for it, like underscore words underscore:
___here are my words in italics____?

[cheekychook]

I use gmail for my queries. Write whatever it is you're writing, paste it into Notepad, copy it and paste it into gmail, use gmail to add the italics back...

Hi, cheekychook. Thanks for both comments and the good wishes -- and best of luck to you, too.

The problem with gmail is I can't find any way to add italics. I went through the gmail settings and help feature and can't see any buttons or anything -- so I've given up on gmail. Do you have any tips?

People send queries as text only all the time. How do they indicate italics with text only? Is there a code for it, like underscore words underscore:
___here are my words in italics____?

When composing your gmail message there should be a thingy below where you type in your subject that says either plain text or rich formatting. Select rich formatting. Do what I suggested in the previous message---type you email wherever, then paste it into notepad, then copy it from notepad and put it into the gmail new message. At that point you can add back italics or bold or whatever and only what you add back will be formatted. (Note: I may not be explaining this in a way that is technically correct, but what I am explaining will work.) It will minimize the likelihood of totally wonky viewing by email recipients. Try it----email your other accounts and see how it works. For me, it looked different on all my other accounts, but readable on all. Send it to friends with different servers as well---try to send it to a few different friends' work accounts as workplace settings are often different than personal use settings. Keep in mind lots of agents read on e-readers, phones, ipads, etc---they are used to seeing things in all sorts of formats---do your best to keep it simple and legible---that's all you can really hope for!

[Holly]

When composing your gmail message there should be a thingy below where you type in your subject that says either plain text or rich formatting.

My gmail doesn't show that -- it shows absolutely nothing.

There are no instructions of any kind -- no boxes, words, nothing -- that will allow me to select formatting.

And I don't know why -- I've been all through the Help feature. So I'm giving up on gmail. Die, gmail, die.

I'll use regular email. I don't have a lot of italics, just a few words, but I want my work to be my work.

Thanks for your answer!

[writersink]

Control + i, and you get italics. (: I'm late with this, aren't I?