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I decided it was time I learned about manuscript formatting, so last night I did a search and found nine articles on it.
“Manuscript Format,” by Apryl Duncan
“Manuscript Formatting” by Lee Masterson
“Proper Manuscript Format,” by William Shunn
“The Obligatory Manuscript Format Article” by John Gregory Betancourt
“Manuscript Preparation,” by Vonda N. McIntyre
“Manuscript Preparaton Guidelines,” by Marion Zimmer Bradley
“How to Format a Manuscript for Publication,” by Mary Nicole Silvester
“Manuscript Formatting for Beginners,” by Kent Brewster
“Novel Format,” by Eire Fury
Here’s what I found…
They all agree that there’s no set standard and that one should look at the guidelines for each publisher or agency before submitting. However, that being said, there are some basic standards that will put you in the ballpark.
Paper: the four who mentioned it said to use 20 lb, and preferably a laser printer.
Margins: all say at least 1” on each side, with two saying to use 1½” on the sides.
Font size: all but one said to use size 12.
Font type: Here’s where things get confusing. Five said Courier, another said go with serif types like Courier or Times, but that now some are accepting Arial, another said Arial or Times, and Vonda McIntyre said “under no circumstances use Times New Roman.”
To sum up, most suggested using monotype fonts (where an “m” is the same width as an “i”), since it helps editors figure how much space the text will need and is easier to read. And Courier was the most popular suggestion of that type.
Name and Address: Every article said to put your Name, Address, Phone Number, and e-mail in the upper left corner of the first page, single-spaced.
Word Count: Every article said to put the Word Count (rounded off to the nearest 100 or 1000, depending on length), in the upper right corner of the first page.
Title: Nearly all agreed that it’s to be centered, halfway down the page. Four said to put it all in CAPS, and two said not to.
Name: Put one blank double-space line under the title, then your name, as you wish it to appear on the book.
2nd Page: In the upper right corner of each page (except the first), in a header, put your last name, the title of the book, and page number: Tolstoy/War and Peace/112. If it’s a long title, you can shorten it down: Dickens/Two Cities/320. Six of the articles agreed on this, and only one said to put page numbers in the upper left corner.
New Chapter: Each one begins on a new page, about halfway down.
Tabs: All but one agreed on using a half inch tab.
Italics: All four that mentioned it said not to use italics or bold formatting in your manuscript, but to underline the words. This is so it will catch the printer’s eye.
Two Spaces after a Period, between Each Sentence: The three who mentioned this all recommended it. The book won’t be printed that way, but it helps make a manuscript easier for an editor to read.
Em Dashes: Use two hyphens--with no blank spaces--like this.
I hope that helps clear up any confusion of new writers, or at least given you some new confusion. If you’re interested, the last two articles I listed were among the most helpful.
“Manuscript Format,” by Apryl Duncan
“Manuscript Formatting” by Lee Masterson
“Proper Manuscript Format,” by William Shunn
“The Obligatory Manuscript Format Article” by John Gregory Betancourt
“Manuscript Preparation,” by Vonda N. McIntyre
“Manuscript Preparaton Guidelines,” by Marion Zimmer Bradley
“How to Format a Manuscript for Publication,” by Mary Nicole Silvester
“Manuscript Formatting for Beginners,” by Kent Brewster
“Novel Format,” by Eire Fury
Here’s what I found…
They all agree that there’s no set standard and that one should look at the guidelines for each publisher or agency before submitting. However, that being said, there are some basic standards that will put you in the ballpark.
Paper: the four who mentioned it said to use 20 lb, and preferably a laser printer.
Margins: all say at least 1” on each side, with two saying to use 1½” on the sides.
Font size: all but one said to use size 12.
Font type: Here’s where things get confusing. Five said Courier, another said go with serif types like Courier or Times, but that now some are accepting Arial, another said Arial or Times, and Vonda McIntyre said “under no circumstances use Times New Roman.”
To sum up, most suggested using monotype fonts (where an “m” is the same width as an “i”), since it helps editors figure how much space the text will need and is easier to read. And Courier was the most popular suggestion of that type.
Name and Address: Every article said to put your Name, Address, Phone Number, and e-mail in the upper left corner of the first page, single-spaced.
Word Count: Every article said to put the Word Count (rounded off to the nearest 100 or 1000, depending on length), in the upper right corner of the first page.
Title: Nearly all agreed that it’s to be centered, halfway down the page. Four said to put it all in CAPS, and two said not to.
Name: Put one blank double-space line under the title, then your name, as you wish it to appear on the book.
2nd Page: In the upper right corner of each page (except the first), in a header, put your last name, the title of the book, and page number: Tolstoy/War and Peace/112. If it’s a long title, you can shorten it down: Dickens/Two Cities/320. Six of the articles agreed on this, and only one said to put page numbers in the upper left corner.
New Chapter: Each one begins on a new page, about halfway down.
Tabs: All but one agreed on using a half inch tab.
Italics: All four that mentioned it said not to use italics or bold formatting in your manuscript, but to underline the words. This is so it will catch the printer’s eye.
Two Spaces after a Period, between Each Sentence: The three who mentioned this all recommended it. The book won’t be printed that way, but it helps make a manuscript easier for an editor to read.
Em Dashes: Use two hyphens--with no blank spaces--like this.
I hope that helps clear up any confusion of new writers, or at least given you some new confusion. If you’re interested, the last two articles I listed were among the most helpful.