[From the Archive] Standard Manuscript Format
Because every year or two, we have to trot this out… this is from early 2010… Feel free to comment and debate at will.
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One of the fundamental tenants of professional writing is to put every manuscript into “Standard Manuscript Format”. What few people tell new writers is that there’s no longer a set standard, kind of like the Pirate’s Code, they’re more…guidelines. There are still things new writers need to do in order to be taken seriously, but as far as standard goes, 21st Century Publishing is a changing beast. But for those who make the effort, here are some things that are still fairly consistent.
• Paper – As long as there are paper submissions anywhere, I doubt serious this one will change. Always use white paper for both submissions and cover letters. Never, ever use colored paper. You will stand out, and it won’t be in a good way.
• Margins – Traditionally margins have been one inch all the way around the page, and probably still should be. However, this has relaxed somewhat when Microsoft Word became the industry standard word processing program and it defaults to 1.25″ right and left. I still reset my defaults to 1″ all around.
• Spacing – I’m referring to Line Spacing. 8 times out of 10 you’re going to double space your pages with no extra “return/enter” line between paragraphs with a 5 space/.5″ indention for paragraphs. The other 2 times out of 10, you’ll single space your manuscripts with a blank line between paragraphs, but these are generally for online publications so they can see the space. The double spacing may seem “environmentally unfriendly”, but that space allows editors to make notes and is easier on eyes that need to read a ton of stories in a short amount of time. You don’t want to strain the eyes of your editor/publisher. Really you don’t.
• Fonts and Styles – Here’s where the greatest debate still lies. Style refers to bold, underline, and italics – first of all, new writers should use special styles sparingly and with great thought. Traditionally, this is still indicated not with the word processing styling, but with the old style of text marking: underline = italics, _word_ = underline (don’t know why), and *word* is bold face. This is a fall back from typesetting days when typewriters didn’t do styles and everything was done manually. Does it make sense? Probably not, but it’s how it’s done.
FONTS are the hot button topic right now, still. Traditionally, you’ll still use Courier or Courier New. It’s the old fall back to typewriter days where the publisher could judge page counts and word counts by the look of the page. Then Microsoft Word started defaulting to Times New Roman. Now it’s Calibri. Though I do this column in Calibri, I would never send a manuscript in it. Some say it’s okay – to use an Arial/Calibri type font – they look good on a screen, but are harder to read on paper to some. Times New Roman is hard to read on screen, but traditionally a print (paper) font. Courier annoys some but for the most part, it’s still a safe font to use in submissions. ALWAYS USE A 12 POINT FONT. It doesn’t strain eyes.
Now, however, what is most important is to read the publication’s guidelines. If they say “SMF” or Standard Manuscript Format, I would go with Courier New, 1″ margins, double space, and underline your italics. Sometimes a publication will ask for specific things within their guidelines. Follow their rules, some call it a “weeding out process” to see who’s reading the guidelines and who isn’t – at that point, I stop and ask myself how much I want to submit to that market versus getting back to writing. It’s a crazy thing, but welcome to the publishing industry. Have fun.
[Writer Post] Expanding Your Audience – The North Texas Comic Book Show
2012 is not only the year of Finish Stuff, Darn It! (Part 2 – a continuation from 2011 and without a foreseeable ending), I’m also looking to expand my reader base. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the SF convention community and their continuing support – which is why my TO INFINITY AND BEYOND goal is to FINISH STUFF, so they have new things to read. However, there are huge, untapped (for me) bastions of potential new readers out there to woo. WOO!
This is why I set up shop at a shiny new (well, it was their second event) comic book show – The North Texas Comic Book Show. Yes, there’s a new show in town, currently in Arlington, TX. Their first event was in October 2011, where Jimmy and I popped in to meet the new kids and check it out.
The North Texas Comic Book Show started out like most shows of this nature – a dealer’s room. The January show featured vendors, a local (but prominent) comic book artist, and me – we were an experiment for each other for growth factors. For them, it was to see if authors would help bring in more people. For me, it was to see if comic book fans would be open to my kind of writing – i.e., new readers.
Since it was close and new, there wasn’t a huge financial outlay. The table wasn’t expensive, and travel was negligible. There were trade-offs. The deal made was for me to be at a table outside the actual comic book show room. The downside to this? I was on my own in the hallway. No other vendors. No way to get a feel of the energy of the room or talk with other vendors. The upside to this? I was on my own in the hallway. No other vendors. No distractions by the next “SHINY”. I had access to every single attendee as they came in or out. Of course I fielded a lot of questions like: “Where’s the bathroom/ATM/etc?” But that’s the tradeoff.
Was it successful? Yes. The show had reasonable expectations on attendance. One report promised potential vendors about 50 people. They had more. I like that. I like a show to downplay its attendance than promise HUNDREDS of people and getting a handful. I know shows need time to build, so I saw this as a good thing. All I expected was to break even on the investment.
Okay, so…my investment ended being more than table costs. I did donate $20 in chapbooks to their 2 daily drawings. One of each of my independent chapbooks to both drawings, signed – and could be personalized if the winner so chose. SIDENOTE: Participation in drawings and/or charity auctions need to be up to individuals. They should be determined on IF AND ONLY IF you can financially afford the loss. However, the good will investment is worth it for both potential new readers and event organizers alike. It makes you come across like someone who is in the event for more than making a buck. You’re actually supporting the show/even/convention.
I ended up lucky. This gamble paid off for me. The talking up I did on social media and website got the show website some traction. More people came than anticipated. And some of them bought stuff. It wasn’t “Wildest Dreams, Holy Cow I Have to Restock Everything Before ConJour” successful, but I did better than my base hope/expectations. The winners of my books in the drawings seemed genuinely excited about the books. I’m quite pleased with the outcome.
That means, now I have a basis for trying either another genre venue or some of the bigger comic book shows as time and budget permit (WITHOUT NEGLECTING MY CORE AUDIENCE VENUES of course).
What shows? Well, I’m open to comics and anime (multi-media is cool). I’m looking into table spilts for some of the more expensive shows since financial outlay is still a consideration. I don’t take up much space and willingly cross-promote. 
Maybe I’ll see you at a show near you soon!
Blackout: We’ll Return to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming on 1/19
My apologies to The North Texas Comic Book Show for preempting my write up.
Politics is a nasty, dirty thing…but this is important. I’d go dark if I knew how. This is the best I can do.
[Pen/Pencil Review] The Sharpie Stainless Steel Pen
After I wrote last week’s review of the new Sharpie Pen RT design, a Twitter follower asked if I’d tried the Stainless Steel Sharpie pen. I told him that the pen was in the queue to review, and decided to go ahead and just get it done. And now, back-to-back Sharpie reviews.
I picked up two before Christmas for our Christmas Stockings – my husband and I both wanted one – at WalMart. We wanted to try these since we have the Stainless Steel Fine Point Markers. A quick note about the Stainless Steel Sharpies – they may cost more initially than regular Sharpies, but they’re worth it. 1. They’re refillable, so you’re only investing in refills. 2. They’re a lot less likely to “wander” because they are quite noticeable. I tell stories about how many Sharpie markers I had go on tour with musicians because they were “permanently borrowed”. That doesn’t happen (yet) with the Stainless Steel ones.
So, the Sharpie Stainless Steel Pen…They’re porous point – which I mentioned in my last review are my least favorite points. I bend them, fray them, and eventually destroy them. But this one seems pretty durable, for what it is. The refill is one solid piece of work with a rubber “comfort” grip and a seemingly large ink reserve. The ink flows smoothly, doesn’t feather, skip, or bleed (as promised on packaging). The barrel is well constructed and balanced. The ridge where the refill meets the barrel is far enough back on grip to only be occasionally in the way or annoying.
The Stainless Steel pens are NOT retractable. They are capped and are just over 5.75″ capped. They’re about 6.5″ long with the cap posted. And here’s the thing, though the cap posts securely – I was bored and shook it to make sure, it doesn’t fly off – the cap doesn’t “lock” so it can LOOK wobbly and off center when posted. It doesn’t affect balance or feel, but it looks weird. But I LOVE the length and heft. This pen feels good in my hand.
Grading:
1. How does it write? – 1 – for a porous point. It performs well. Smooth flow, lives up to promise.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – the ‘comfort’ grip is actually comfortable, soft but firm. It’s also a good diameter to be comfortable in my hand. Well-balanced. Took a long time to fatigue.
3. Material – 1 – solid design and craftsmanship. We’ve had the first fine points for a while and the stainless has held up well to purse and bag battering without scratching or tarnish. The refills are a solid piece and don’t leak.
4. Overall Design – .5 – the ridge where the refill meets the barrel does SOMETIMES get in the way and dig into the thumb webbing.
5. Price Point – .5 – the initial outlay can be a bit pricey. The initial cost is ~$5-$7 depending where you find them. The refills tend to run about $2.00. It’s not outrageous, but something to consider.
Overall – 4 Bronze Pencils out of 5.
[From the Archive] The Rule of Writing
This post was written in early 2010… I’m sure I’ve addressed it numerous times since.
Announcements: I’ll be appearing at the North Texas Comic Book Show tomorrow, Saturday, Jan 14th from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Arlington Hilton just west of 360 on Lamar.
Also, I’m participating in ConJour on the University of Houston Clear Lake Campus January 27-29th.
NOTE: There are only 15 copies of the first edition print run of When the Party’s Over. The second print run has been done. If you want a first edition, come see me at one of the above…
Now… on with the post…
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Thanks to the wonders of the internet – specifically Social Media – I can sometimes find new topics for this column based on what pops up on other authors’ news feeds and websites. In the past few days a very basic topic has re-emerged. The “Rules for Writing”. Which is something that can be repeated, so here we go. It’s really only one rule, but it can be broken into three parts. So, let’s break it down.
• Apply Behind to Chair – talking about writing isn’t being a writer. It isn’t enough. You have to be willing and able to put other things aside, ignore the distractions, and put in the time and the effort. You have to be willing to do the job. It isn’t glamorous or shiny, but nobody said it was.
• Apply Hands to Keyboard (or pen) – just because you sat down doesn’t mean you’re doing the work. Checking email, social media, blogging, and playing games isn’t writing. You have to put words on paper or pixels on a screen to count as writing. It can be hard. It can be tedious, but see above. No one said this job was fun and shiny all the time. Sometimes it’s a struggle, but if you really are a writer, not just a wannabe, you have to commit word counts.
• Finish A Project - face it, we’ve all been there. Stories are all butterflies and puppies for the first few pages, paragraphs, even thoughts when they’re new. Then you hit the first bump – which could be stumbling over a character name, the laundry, or family – and you lose the thread of the story. OR, sometimes worse, the Plot Bunnies come to call and you have many good ideas. It’s not good enough to project hop. To be a “real” writer, you have to have a Beginning, Middle, and End to a project – and then you have to submit it. A story isn’t done just because you type “The End”. It has to go out into the world. THEN you’re a writer.
That’s it. That’s really the only rule. You have to do it. You have to put in the time and the effort. That’s not to say all the other things aren’t important – they’re just not “rules”. Yes, you need to market research. Yes, you need to follow the guidelines to the publication. Yes, your story has to be in Standard Manuscript Format (which is a different topic ). But those are guidelines to show that you’ve done the work. That you’re serious about yourself as a writer and your story as a creation, they’re skills you learn as part of the craft of writing – but to get to craft, you have to make the conscious decision to follow the rule. You have to apply the behind to the chair, hands to the keyboard (or pen), and finish your project. There’s nothing better than knowing you did it – unless it’s selling the story and knowing other people, other writers, know you did it. So, go do it, and let me know how it goes. It doesn’t have to be a novel. Flash Fiction is just as valid. Good luck.
[Writer Post] Be Our Guest
Split Professional Personalities, gotta love them – though they can be tough to balance. In this, I’m not talking about Writer Pro vs. Day Job Pro. There’s tons of advice on balancing that…and life. This is the Fandom Balancing act. I am both a Writer Guest/Panelist/Participant and a Convention Organizer. I’m on staff of FenCon working in Guest Relations.
This past weekend we had InstaCon here in Dallas. InstaCon is our area’s Convention Runners’ convention when SMOFCon is not in a reasonable travel distance. We gather to try to learn how to do our jobs better, interact with other conventions, see what we can all do better. This year there were three panels on Guest…stuff…from how some conventions pick their Guests of Honor, to how to deal with tons of professionals wanting to be a guest and conventions having only so much room, to a panel from the Guest’s POV. I was one this one (as well as in the audience for the other two).
It all boils down to Perspective and Professionalism. A good chunk of PR and marketing advice tells writers (and other professionals) to get out there and SELL, sell, sell (themselves, their books, etc). We’re awesome. We’re the best EVER. Everyone should love us and never take “No” for answer. And that’s where some professionals get in trouble. They push too hard and too far. If a convention tells you “no” it’s like publishers — most of the time it’s not personal. They’ve filled their roster, or they’re a Steampunk convention and you’re the next hardcore Steven King Horror writer (not a lot there for you), or any number of other reasons. That’s not saying you shouldn’t try to expand your horizons, but if a convention says no then take the no and find someone else to say yes.
There are some articles out there on this that are good advice. There are also “word of mouth” rules. A lot of them say the same thing, so I’m going to outline some of what *I* consider to be my “Guidelines for Being a Good Guest” – take it for what it’s worth.
1. Be On Time – to both the convention and to your programming items. If you can actually get to the convention early…even better, but sometimes unpreventable. If you’re going to be late to something… TELL THE CONVENTION STAFF.
2. COMMUNICATE – this goes with number one. If you are doing a presentation or something that requires tech or something — TELL THE CONVENTION STAFF EARLY so they can prepare. If you made a mistake on your programming form and are put on a panel you have nothing to say about – TELL THE CONVENTION STAFF EARLY, they’ll fix it. If something happens and you’ll have to miss a panel – TELL THE CONVENTION STAFF when it happens so they can adjust.
3. Don’t Hide in Your Room! – Conventions are not for the painfully shy or severely introverted. I know it’s painful for some writers to be “out there”, but it’s necessary. Guests who show up to panels and then disappear into their rooms and don’t come out? They’re not looked on with favor – by fans or convention staff. Down time is required by all of us, just don’t make it every minute you’re not scheduled for something.
4. Go to Parties! – I started out as an assistant to an actor. I learned a lot from him. One of his “rules” was the “Midnight Rule” – he had a guideline that said we had to be out and involved with the evening activities – parties, masquerade, etc – until AT LEAST Midnight. Try to put in an appearance at all the parties, be visible, be friendly. This is an “unwritten” rule, but it works.
5. Reasonable Expectations – the convention wants to know you’re going to be a good investment. You need the convention to be a good investment. Most fan run conventions can only pay the way of Guests of Honor. Regional guests will be expected to pay their way. 90% of fan run conventions will comp the membership to the convention itself. In turn they will expect a reasonable amount of work on your part – such as a minimum of 3-5 programming items a weekend up to 3-5 programming items A DAY (depending on size and number of guests). Guests have the reasonable expectation of being treated respectfully and professionally by the convention for their work.
There are exceptions to several of these rules:
1. Extreme deadlines – if you have a book/script/etc. due two days after the convention. You might have to hide out in your room some to meet said deadline. That’s okay IF – you tell the convention up front, and make an honest attempt to participate to best of your ability.
2. Health issues/concerns – these can take a toll on a body. Again, do what you have to to NOT get an entire convention sick, take care of yourself, etc. TELL THE CONVENTION.
It’s still the “Don’t be a Jerk” rule of professionalism. Respect the convention. They’ll respect you. Treat others with professionalism, it will be returned. Being a jerk hurts all of us.
[Pen/Pencil Review] The Sharpie Pen RT and a New Grading System
It’s one of those Mondays where the “To Do” list is rather daunting especially coming off a weekend that only added to the “To Do” List rather than take from. So, here’s one thing off the “To Do” List… This week’s review is of the new Sharpie Pen RT design – black ink.
I think I’ve talked about the Sharpie Pens before and will again as they work on some new designs and such. I’m doing this one to start a new grading system my husband suggested because he was looking for something objective in my subjective reviews of pens. So this is going to starting working those details out as well…
But first, the subjective part… I do find myself grabbing the Sharpie Retractable (RT) pen of my desk to jot notes if it’s available. I like retractable pens for their lack of cap. I will drop, lose, inadvertently spin a cap across a room – usually when it’s most inconvenient, so retractables are a “good thing” for me – except at job interviews. Note: if you’re a fidgeter (like me) NEVER, EVER take a retractable pen to a job interview…obsessive clicking is NOT a good thing.
I really do like the new design to the Sharpie Pen RT. They’ve taken their basic design and removed all ridges. The barrel still has the softer rubber finger grip, but the barrel is completely smooth. They’ve taken off all ridges, even the break in the barrel to insert refills (if they made them) is under the clip. There is nothing to dig into fingers or annoy the hand while writing.
However, it’s still a porous point writing instrument. It will dry out. It will bend and mush down and/or fray making the writing less stable and harder to work with – which is, generally why I steer clear of porous points. I will destroy the writing point after a while. So, while it’s a solid pen, it does have drawbacks.
Now for the new grading system… Since I have a system for UP TO 5 bronze pencils in place, my husband suggested five criteria and a system of 0, .5, and 1 for each category to equal five. He’s seen systems like this on other pen blogs before and prefers something objective. I’m trying it out.
Here’s the first go around:
1. How does it write? – 0.5 – For a porous point, it’s not bad. It does dry out. I do not recommend leaving the point exposed to air if not in use. The line is consistent and the ink has good pigment
2. Grip and Feel - 1 – I like the smooth barrel with nothing to dig into my fingers. The slightly softer rubber grip give the grip more comfort than straight hard plastic.
3. Material – 0.5 – It’s plastic. It’s meant to be disposable. It’s sturdy plastic, and not flimsy, but it’s still plastic.
4. Overall Design – 1 – I do give this a decent mark for design because Sharpie seemed to listen to customers and redid the design to make it more comfortable for long-term use.
5. Price Point – 0 – They’re a bit pricey for what they are. Online at most major office supply box stores, 3 packs run $8.20-$9.99 in the US, making them between $2.75 and $3.33 each. I like my truly disposables to be closer to the $1-$2 range.
So, now this WRITER does some MATH… to give the Sharpie Pen RT 3 Bronze Pencils.
[From the Archive] When the Publishing World Doesn’t Hand Me Articles
From early 2010… one of the first “blathering” posts…sadly, not the last.
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When the publishing world doesn’t hand me my articles on a silver platter (like it has for the last couple of weeks), I sometimes struggle to come up with something interesting. So I fall back on the day-to-day struggle of writing and dealing with the real world. This is one of those posts.
Last Fall I pledged to consistently write 300-500 words of new fiction five days a week. And I did pretty well, even through the holidays. But lately, I have to admit, I’ve not been as consistent as I would like or as I have pledged. I haven’t lived up to my goal. The “Real World” has gotten in the way – again. Pesky thing that — the Real World.
During the kerfuffle between Macmillan and Amazon and the upswing in e-piracy as topics looming large, I’ve mentioned that most writers who are “working” writers also have Day Jobs. In fact, MOST writers you read have some source of “outside” income – whether it’s freelancing or a “real” job – in order to afford to entertain you (hence the uproars and kerfuffles about writers actually getting paid a living wage). I’m one of them. I’ve temped, freelanced, substitute taught, and had “real” jobs. I’m currently in a position that I really do love, which is weird, but necessary. It’s also eating into my writing time because of a very hard and fast deadline which means crazy hours. This interferes with word counts. It happens.
So, what have I done? I haven’t given up. Even if I only get a couple dozen words in, I still give it an effort – to keep the habit alive. To keep the muscle memory active, so on the days that I have more time – more breaks, or lunch, I can get my 300-500 words in. I do what I have to do to keep the momentum going. I also give myself permission to write crap, because I know – on the really busy days that’s all that’s getting written. I’ve also given myself permission to jump in narrative. I’ve seen scenes stall and spin out of control, and you know what? It’s okay to say, “I’m done with this bit. I need to do this other bit over here for a while”. Smoothing out the rough spots is why we edit and rewrite.
The point is to keep going even when you’re tired and busy – but within reason. Unless you’re under a contracted deadline, there’s no reason to endanger your health by pushing yourself too hard. I know some writers who’ve had to do just that, but those are the exception not the rule. Know yourself and your limits. Right now, I have to pace myself to get through the next month, and if that means some days I only write 30 words instead of 300, so be it, knowing it’s temporary and that when I come out the other side, getting back up to where I need to be won’t be as much of a struggle as if I’d let the “habit” go and started over. So, know that even (especially) working writers find life overwhelming and struggle to keep up – if you’re new, you’re not alone. This isn’t something only you deal with – we all deal with it on a daily basis. Just keep writing – even if just a little bit – and stay accountable some way to getting it done, and somehow it will all get done.
[Writer Post] Welcome to 2012
It’s a new year now. Hello, 2012. Pull up a chair. Stay a while. These first posts of the year are generally seen as “what I intend to do” posts. My sum up on that? More of “getting things done, darn it”. That’s always my goal – along with consistent writing (both in skill and amount).
The first quick and dirty thing I’ve managed to accomplish is a clean-up read of my collection When the Party’s Over. Not quite 2 years into the first run, we’re about to do a second printing. We have less than 20 copies of the first print run and a convention season starting. I’m pretty pleased with that, since I’ve “hand sold” each and every copy.
“Hand sold” for those who don’t know means copies are sold at conventions/appearances/family events on an individual basis and not through a store/distribution route. Most self-published (print) and small press books are sold this way – and through a website (occasionally Amazon if it’s a small press). And even if you do have distribution through a major publisher – you’ll still end up “hand selling” most of your books. It’s still one of the best marketing tools for writers…word of mouth.
I am currently rewriting my first novel – which I wrote in the early 1990s. Yeah, there was no revision, just rewriting. I’m basically reading a bit and then redoing it. Expanding word count, fixing the stuff that’s no longer acceptable, cutting a character…that kind of thing. It will (hopefully) be a much better book when it’s done. I want it out into submission processes by the end of the year.
While updating the book, I did come across a nifty tool…Time and Date.com. I had to bring the book forward to “now” and then 100+ years into the future. I did mention a day and date, so I needed to do some checking. It’s much easier NOW to come up with a future calendar than it was in 1991. Time and Date.com lets you create calendars for any year you need – at least through the 23rd century, because I created one for 2201, but I might back it off by quite a bit.
If you’re working with specific dates for something, please make use of this tool. Fans are notorious for calling “bull” on things that are – NOW – easily verified on line. Some things I could’ve gotten away with in the 1990s because there wasn’t such a thing as Google…not so much now.
And now, I need to get back to it. Convention season is upon us, which is the season of Time Management. Welcome to 2012.
[Pen/Pencil Review] The Editing Pen Side-by-Side Comparison
What’s new for the 2012 pen review blog? Well, I’m going to try to put a more objective grading system in place so maybe a more consistent way of awarding the Bronze Pencils evolves. That way there can actually be some kind of plan to this blog. Not sure how that’s all going to work out, but that’s the idea.
This week, however, I’m attempting the side-by-side comparison of the three “editing” pens I’ve discovered over the last month or so. I’ll be looking at the Uniball Signo bit 0.18 mm, the Pentel Slicci 0.25mm, and the Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.25mm – all using red ink. For this I am using a “ranking” system of 1-3. 1 being the pen I liked most on a feature, and 3 being the one I cared for least.
Price point. I’ll start here. When it comes to price, these three are a dead heat. On JetPens.com all three pens sell for $3.30. The differences may come with refills in deciding value. JetPens carries the Hi-Tec-C refills, but you’d have to look elsewhere for the Uniball and Pentel Slicci. All things are equal here.
So let’s move on to more defining factors.
How the pen writes. All three are needle point, ultra-fine gel pens, so this is looking at how the ink looks, feels, etc.
1. Pentel Slicci hands down has the darkest, richest looking ink. It flows smoothly from the point with little skipping or scratching. In many ways it reminds me of other pens 0.4mm lines in depth and darkness.
2. Uniball Signo Bit edged out the Hi-Tec-C by a fraction. In a lot of ways they’re equal. The Uni is scratchy and has some skipping. It’s also the finest point I’ve ever used. The ink is still clear and readable.
3. Pilot Hi-Tec-C is only last because it has all the same features of scratchy and occasionally skipping that the Signo has…and looks darned identical in the writing sample, but it’s a 0.25 rather than a 0.18.
Grip
1. Uniball Signo Bit has a bit more cushion with rubber accents to the plastic ribbing. Adds a touch of padding.
2. Pilot Hi-Tec-C has less ribbing on the grip and a smooth run up the barrel so there’s nothing to dig in. It’s a decent diameter for my fingers.
3. Pentel Slicci has a ridge behind the ribbing on the grip that can dig in. It’s also a slightly narrower diameter than the Hi-Tec-C which makes me grip it harder to keep hold.
Materials
1. Pilot Hi-Tec-C feels the most solid in my hand. They’re all plastic, but this one is the most balanced to me. The stainless steel hardware seems in good proportion and solid to me. The footing for the point is thick and solid going into the tip. I don’t feel like I’m going to break anything .
2. Pentel Slicci is lighter and shorter than the Hi-Tec-C. The point seems to come out farther from the stainless steel tip and throws it just slightly off balance to me.
3. Uniball Signo Bit feels the most cheaply made. The point comes out of a plastic tip molded into the grip. The only metal is the needlepoint. It’s also the shortest and lightest, giving it a less solid feel.
Overall, even though these pens run fairly even on all things, for consistency and solidity, I’ll probably pick up the Pilot Hi-Tec-C more than the Pentel Slicci – even though the ink it is darker. It’s the one that fits my hand the best. The decision was CLOSE, let me tell you. The Slicci and the Uniball Signo Bit are ones I might travel with because if something happened to them, I wouldn’t cry over them, but the Pilot is the one I see myself grabbing for long-term editing.
Though…if I could put the Slicci ink in the Hi-Tec-C barrel, THAT would be the perfect pen. But alas…not possible.
