manuscript format

Starbrazer · May 16, 2006

Hello everyone. I have a question about formatting, but I have yet to find the answer to this anywhere. When an agent requests the first five pages of a manuscript, is that single-spaced pages or double-spaced manuscript format, because I sent my query and first five pages double-spaced and aligned with the formatting instructions I found in a book by Writer's Digest Books called: Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript by Cynthia Laufenburg (actually, I bought the book). I was emailing Agent/Query.com, and they told me to follow the formatting instructions on their website, and it was the same as in this book, so I formatted it according to that. What is the proper method of sending out the first five pages of a manuscript and should you format those pages double-spaced, etc.

Header top left: last name/TITLE OF BOOK

Page # on the right side top of page.

Double spaced.

JanDarby · May 16, 2006

Double spaced.

Only a one- or two-page synopsis is single-spaced.

JD

Starbrazer · May 17, 2006

JanDarby said:
Double spaced.

Only a one- or two-page synopsis is single-spaced.

JD

No. I mean literally the first five pages of the manuscript; part of chapter one of my book.

The synopsis was a breeze, although a little longer than I first expected.

Euan H. · May 17, 2006

'Pages' in the guidelines means ms. pages, so that'd be the first five double-spaced, 12pt fonted, 1" margined, running headered pages, I would've thought.

alleycat · May 17, 2006

I have the book by Laufenburg as well. I like it, but I find that some of her formatting suggestions doesn't quite match typical formatting guidelines.

I would use a header on the top right with Name / Key Words of Title / Page Number (you can do all of this in View Header and Footer. Some say putting your name and title key words on the left is acceptable, some say it's not because the pages are often clipped on the left. I doubt it matters all that much.

Also, unless you know Times Roman is acceptable, use a Courier font, double spaced.

ac

JanDarby · May 17, 2006

The default for manuscript pages is double-spaced. So, unless the person asking for the pages SPECIFICALLY states single-space (a number of epublishers ask for submissions single-spaced), then double-space.

JD

manuscript format

Starbrazer

JanDarby

Starbrazer

Euan H.

Unspeakable

alleycat

Still around

JanDarby