To view a manuscript format

nicolettab · May 9, 2006

Hello all,
Is there a place that I can see the format of a manuscript?

My friend said my name, address, phone number, title should be on every page on the top left hand corner and the page number should be on the top right.

It just doesn't seem right to me. I could see name, address etc on the top left corner of the first page and the page numbers on the bottom. Then I again, I could be wrong. Any help out there for a frustrated first timer??? N

icerose · May 9, 2006

eharlequin.com posts examples of what submissions to them should look like. Beyond that, not sure.

James D. Macdonald · May 9, 2006

http://www.sfwa.org/writing/vonda/vonda.htm

aruna · May 9, 2006

I've always wanted to insert my name before the page number but I don't know how to do it. I use ms WORD and the only option I can find under "insert" also includes the date. Help, anyone?

Euan H. · May 10, 2006

Are you talking about the page numbers in the header of the page?

If you are, go to View> Header and Footer, and then you should be able to type into the header space of your document. You'll have to mess with the space bar to get it to align neatly, but it's no big deal.

aruna · May 10, 2006

Euan H. said:
Are you talking about the page numbers in the header of the page?

If you are, go to View> Header and Footer, and then you should be able to type into the header space of your document. You'll have to mess with the space bar to get it to align neatly, but it's no big deal.

Yep, I was always looking for that option under "insert". Thanks.

Aconite · May 10, 2006

nicolettab said:
My friend said my name, address, phone number, title should be on every page on the top left hand corner and the page number should be on the top right.

That's not correct. Your contact information goes in the upper left of the first page. The header is your last name, your title (shortened if necessary), and the page number, all on one line, and it goes in the upper right of each page (example: Hemingway/Old Man/4). Note that some authors just use name and page number: Hemingway/4.

bsolah · May 10, 2006

I've found the best example here: http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html

aadams73 · May 10, 2006

Euan H. said:
You'll have to mess with the space bar to get it to align neatly, but it's no big deal.

I just set a right hand justification. Easy peasy.

alleycat · May 10, 2006

aruna said:
I've always wanted to insert my name before the page number but I don't know how to do it. I use ms WORD and the only option I can find under "insert" also includes the date. Help, anyone?

I find it works best if I do it all while I'm doing the header.

View > Header and Footer (it should open as a header, but there is an option on the toolbar to switch between header and footer).

Put in your name and title keyword(s), then select the Insert Page Number option, as in:

Smith / Fishing / -- then click the page number option.

Then right justify the text and close the View Header and Footer tool.

You can also change the color of the header text by selecting the text and then going to Text Color; some people prefer a 50% or 80% gray text for the header. I use 80% gray since I've never heard of a submittal "no-no" about doing it (although I'm sure there is one somewhere).

ac

jchines · May 10, 2006

My favorite example: http://www.speculations.com/format.html

Euan H. · May 10, 2006

aadams73 said:
I just set a right hand justification. Easy peasy.

Heh. It's the gap between the final slash and the page number that you have to mess with. My version of word sets it too close to the page number and I need to insert a couple spaces to make it look neat.

No, I do not believe this is overly anal.

Uh. But on the other hand . . . :gone:

Starbrazer · May 14, 2006

Agent/Query.com

www.agentquery.com has a section on the left hand side of the page called: Formatting Tips; try that and see if it helps. Also, Writer's Digest Books has published a book called Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript edtion 2 by Cynthia Laufenberg; I paid about twenty bucks for it at Books-a-Million and it has been a blessing for me. It covers everything from articles, short stories, nonfiction manuscripts, fiction manuscripts, and scripts for movies. You can trust these two sources, because they are out to help the writer.

Hope that helps...

argenianpoet

To view a manuscript format

nicolettab

icerose

Lost in School Work

James D. Macdonald

Your Genial Uncle

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

Euan H.

Unspeakable

aruna

On a wing and a prayer

Aconite

bsolah

AW's Resident Commie

aadams73

A Work in Progress

alleycat

Still around

jchines

Got the hang of it, here

Euan H.

Unspeakable

Starbrazer