bell notificationshomepageloginNewPostedit profile

Topic : How should I present a resort brochure in my general fiction? In my story the protagonist goes to live in a health resort. The receptionist presents her with a brochure of activities. At the - selfpublishingguru.com

10.02% popularity

In my story the protagonist goes to live in a health resort. The receptionist presents her with a brochure of activities. At the moment I have written like this in a word document;

After patiently listening to my story, she pulled out the resort
brochure and pointing out with the pen in her hand she said;
“Here, this one looks like something interesting for you.”
Transformation Intensive Programme -- £1500 – 3 months
Activity A with Jacob
Activity B with Daniel
Activity C with Tara.
Activity D with Tom

Should I design this before I send it to the publisher (just in case I am fortunate enough to get one ;)) Or should I just present it in a word table. Will this be also designed for the book?


Load Full (2)

Login to follow topic

More posts by @Sarah872

2 Comments

Sorted by latest first Latest Oldest Best

10% popularity

Often if something is included as an illustration (in a non-children's book) it might be A Clue! Agatha Christie novels are known for this -- if there's a diagram, that means understanding the locations of things is important.

So if you included a full reproduction of the brochure, I'd be wondering if there's a secret within --does it indicate embezzlement (the prices in the brochure are $x, but the person was charged $x+ ? ) Or it could just be very out of date ("those were our 2012 prices -- we now only update the website with current pricing.") Or is there some thinly veiled hostility in the text? Or do the photos indicate a place where something could happen unobserved?


Load Full (0)

10% popularity

Typically, in a prose novel, you would describe the brochure, not reproduce it.

After patiently listening to my story, she pulled out a resort brochure titled Transformation Intensive Programme, and pointing out with the pen in her hand she said; “Here, this one looks like something interesting for you."
It cost £1500!

It would be possible to include it as an illustration, but that would be unusual. Children's novels are often illustrated, adult's novels occasionally are, and there are some novelty books that heavily feature graphics. Unless you're serving as your own illustrator, however, those details would be left to the illustrator. In any case, it would definitely be premature to focus in on them now.
Occasionally, a writer will use a hybrid technique, as in your example, of suggesting a menu or a pamphlet or other printed object through typesetting, or occasionally boxing it off. There is no standard way of doing this, and the way you have of indicating it in your manuscript is fine. If you want to go further you can add notes to the editor in square brackets. That's probably not recommended however, unless it's absolutely essential. You can always discuss it with your editor after you have a deal in hand.

After patiently listening to my story, she pulled out the resort brochure and pointing out with the pen in her hand she said; “Here, this one looks like something interesting for you.”
[Note to Editor: Please include the following in a box, and in an elegant typeface]
Transformation Intensive Programme -- £1500 – 3 months
Activity A with Jacob
Activity B with Daniel
Activity C with Tara.
Activity D with Tom


Load Full (0)

Back to top