How to format a manuscript the specifics guidelines you. Before sending your novel out to potential agents and publishers, be sure to follow these important formatting guidelines. Its safest to use a plain typewriterstyle typeface like courier new or prestige. If you are using times new roman you can use proper italics.
Before sending my fiction manuscript off to agents, i want to be sure i have it formatted correctly. We can also work with files prepared in latex please consult your acquiring editor for special instructions if you plan to submit latex files. Turn off the function that takes an entire paragraph at the bottom of the page to the following page if the paragraph is split between two pages. Part of my job as a copy editor is to fix the formatting to publishers standards.
The entire text should be doublespaced, which leaves space for comments by editors. This makes things so much easier to read on a screen and most agents read manuscripts on a computer or an ereader. One doublespaced line below the title and subtitle. Then include your last name and page number in the top left margin of the first and each subsequent manuscript page. Before you convert your manuscript, change all double spaces to single spaces. Enter two spaces in the find this will help you find every double space in the document. How to format a novel manuscript writing academy scribophile.
What publishers look for in a submitted manuscript, and what will get you instantly rejected. Sentence spacing proper manuscript format william shunn. The reason im asking is because if i submit it single spaced, amazon will say the novel is only 110 pages long, which seems like a lot less than a novel should actually be. Before sending your novel out to potential agents and publishers, be sure its sent in the. In general, a document with standard manuscript format will have the following features. Whether youre writing a board book, a picture book, or a chapter book, the title of your book needs to be centered and in all caps, and you need to have two line spaces or one double space between it and the first line of text. Agents dont edit manuscripts, they simply read what you have and tell you whether they can get it to a publisher or not. For childrens picture books, submit all the text in a doublespaced format or in a singlespaced format with double spaces between paragraphs. Doublespace between lines thats for the body of the manuscriptsynopses are usually singlespaced.
However, while you are writing single spaced looks more like a book, and can increase your confidence. Manuscripts should be double spaced when you double space. Ive never sent out a sample to an agent that was double spaced. Double spacing is not necessary for poetry manuscripts. This assures the reader that no pages are accidentally missing. A manuscript is your work of fiction or nonfiction that you submit to a publisher or agent in the hope that someone will turn it into a published book. Do not send duplicate manuscripts to deseret book, shadow mountain, or. Note that the manuscripts offered on this site are doublespaced with wide margins, but they do have chapter and verse numbers. Ensure that your manuscript is typed, doublespaced with singlesided pages.
This will reassure agents and editors that pages arent accidentally missing. Quick question as a newaspiring writer, starting a manuscript, im curious to know if you know of a way to make it double spaced after each sentence. Again, type one poem to a page, singlespaced with double spacing between stanzas. Submit two doublespaced, singlesided hard copies of all text. Proper manuscript format for a novel first manuscript. Author namethis is the name you are publishing the work under. Indent the first line of every paragraph by about 12 inch. Proponents of double sentence spacing also state that some publishers may still require doublespaced manuscript submissions from authors. Such fonts are easy to read and look good when doublespaced. A key example noted is the screenwriting industrys monospaced standard for screenplay manuscripts, courier, 12point font, 75 although some works on screenwriting indicate that courier is merely. Begin your story or each chapter halfway down the page, and allow four spaces two double spaces under the title and byline. We are happy to see original illustrations, but it is not necessary to have completed illustrations prior to submission.
How to format a picture book manuscript for publishers. Doublespaced just means every other line of text is blank, which makes it easier to read as well as to proofread and mark edits on the page. Collections of short stories andor novellas are personal essays. Usually this is found under formatting or paragraph. Doublespaced lines of text set in a word processor as 24point or 20point line spacing 24 or 25 lines of text. In a query letter you should describe the manuscript, tell us how far along you are, estimate its final length in either word count or doublespaced typescript pages, and tell us what is unique about the manuscript or about you. When youre sending in attachments like requests for partials or full manuscripts, you want to make sure you follow these guidelines. Intervarsitys manuscript bible study guide intervarsitys guide provides a short and helpful walkthrough of a manuscript bible study, including a brief howto of inductive bible study. This ultimate guide shows you how to format your book stepbystep. When you doublespace a manuscript, you must indent the paragraphs to show where a new paragraph begins. As such, it is made up of individual sentences, double spaced.
Courier or a similar monospaced serif font 12point 10 pitch or 10point 12 pitch font size. All manuscripts must be typed doublespaced, 12point times romantimes new roman font, with oneinch margins on all sides. I have a picturebook manuscript that would target children up to three years of age. That will result in such garbled formatting that its an almost automatic rejection. Apa formatting for academic manuscripts is a different animal. The university of chicago press prefers manuscripts submitted in electronic form in microsoft word. The result will be a better formatted, stylistically correct book. How to prepare your book manuscript, from choosing your paper and font to formatting to submitting to publishers. Before sending your novel out to potential agents and publishers, be sure its sent in the standard manuscript format by following these guidelines. Double space your manuscript and indent the paragraphs or dialogue 5 spaces. Use a standard font type such as arial or new times roman in 12point type. Center your book title and byline about halfway down the page.
Nevertheless, our team sometimes receives partial manuscripts and manuscripts that. How to format a manuscript the specifics guidelines you need. University of chicago press manuscript preparation guidelines. If you need help with the mechanics, ill provide that later. You follow the guidelines that the agent has set down. Do i have to double space my manuscript sample in the. I know you dont want to waste paper, but doublespaced text is much easier to read quickly and editors do a lot of reading. Double spaced it is about 223 pages long and single spaced its only 110.
Do you know how to prepare your manuscript for your editor, proofreader, and especially your book designer. And speaking of the first line of text, it must always be flush left. My question is, should i publish it single spaced or double spaced. Use underline for italicized words if you are using courier font. Also, manuscript font i stypically a fixed width 12 point serif font, because typoes stand out more clearly. By snowden editorial services, providing professional manuscript analysis, formatting, proofreading, and editing since 1985. Doublespacing your lines makes the manuscript easier to read and mark up. How to format your childrens book manuscript dummies. Please include a literary cv that lists your publication history. Leave at least a 1inch margin on all sides of the page. We know its an unpopular take, but double spaced sentences are outdated abominations that. This means your manuscript will a space between lines, like this. Authors submit manuscripts in a hodgepodge of formats. After the title page, begin the manuscript halfway down and place your name and contact details in the top righthand corner.
Second and subsequent pages header should be in the upper righthand corner of the page, and page number should be 2. If you are mailing a submission and would like your manuscript back, please enclose a large enough selfaddressed envelope with sufficient prepaid. Your words should be aligned on the lefthand side of your page, but not justified. This includes things like whether the lines are single or doublespaced. Any deviation from these standatds will be noted in the submission guidelines. In response to an earlier post, a reader writes to ask. Doublespace your manuscript and indent the paragraphs or dialogue 5 spaces. Youre going to use that super handy find and replace function again. Place the page numbers in the top righthand corner. I know you dont want to waste paper, but double spaced text is much easier to read quickly and editors do a lot of reading. I tend to do this as it gets me away from the computer. The way i envision it is that there would be a picture for each sentence. Use 12point times new roman or arial font unless the publishers submission guidelines indicate otherwise.
Lines should be double spaced with no extra spaces between paragraphs. Theres a difference between a manuscript and a book, and its much the same as the. How to format a short story manuscript writing academy. Back in the days of the typewriter, the norm was two spaces between sentences, and many of us learned to type following that rule.
How to format your manuscript even if you hate computers. Indent each paragraph five spaces without adding extra lines between paragraphs. Set margins to at least 40mm on the left, 25mm top and bottom and about mm on the right. If the guidelines state that the sample of your writing should be double spaced, then do so. You do not want to accomplish this by hitting enter at the end of each line. Type two spaces into find and one space into replace then hit replace all with reckless, typingteacherbedamned abandon. Heres how to format your novel or memoir so it looks professional.
446 653 1311 219 940 1424 1532 1126 690 269 657 1198 605 1252 1 129 669 1521 1195 40 347 242 1090 84 327 92 1057 429 791 939 1415 385