How to Format Your Manuscript

Guide Note If you are unclear on how to format your manuscript, you may find yourself swimming in a sea of contradictory information. This page will break down the basics and explain why contradictions occur to help guide you in making the right choice.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Manuscript Basics
• Font
• Style
• Running Headers
• Word Count
• Cover Page
• First Page
• Chapters
• Printing it Out
• Online Examples
• Conclusion
• References

Manuscript Format Tips

1. Above all, your manuscript should be easy to read.
2. Always double-space your manuscript.
3. Avoid fancy fonts.
4. Don't use fancy tricks to make your manuscript look longer or shorter.
5. Don't forget to include your contact information.

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Introduction

• It finally happened (or you just want to be prepared for when it does). You received a positive response to one of your query letters and the publisher/agent has requested to see your manuscript. Only one problem, they requested it be in "Standard Manuscript Format" and you have no clue what that means. Standard manuscript format exists for one major reason: to make the manuscript easy for someone (publisher/editor/agent) to read.¹ As long as you keep that in mind, you cannot go wrong.

Manuscript Basics

• 

  (Creative Commons photo by Michelle)
  The following are some basics of manuscript formatting.

1. Lines need to be double-spaced.
   1. Double-spacing allows editors to write corrections in between lines and is easier on their eyes.¹
   2. Never try to make your manuscript appear longer or shorter by deviating from this.²
2. Indent paragraphs 1/2 inch.
   1. Do not use an extra line to indicate paragraph.³
   2. 1/2-inch indention is the same as hitting tab or spacing five spaces for some fonts.
   3. Some word processing programs have a 0.3 inch indention as their standard.⁴
3. Text should be aligned left or left-justified.
   • This is also known as ragged-right margins because the text on the right side is not even.¹
4. One inch margins on all sides.
   • Some editors may request 1-1/2 margins so they have more space to write comments and corrections.¹
5. Use one space between sentences.¹
   1. Two spaces between sentences is a holdover from typewriters.²
   2. A quick way to change your manuscript (if you double-spaced) is to use Find and Replace and replace all double-spaces with single-spaces.
   3. Some suggest using two spaces if using a monospaced font such as Courier.⁵
      • See the Font section for more information.

What Not to Do

• Here are a few things that you do not want to do:

1. Do not try to layout your manuscript so it looks like a book.⁶
2. Do not use business letter format (single-spaced, no paragraph indents with one space between paragraphs).¹
3. Do not try to deviate from the standards to make your manuscript look longer or shorter.⁷
4. Do not include a copyright notice.²

Font

• Editors want a readable font.³ However, there is some debate on which font that is. The standard font used to be Courier (Courier New), but Times New Roman (Times Roman) is becoming the new standard and some prefer it.^{1 6} If your editor expresses a preference use that font.³ Otherwise, most advice is to use Courier.⁸

1. Courier is a "fixed-space" font. This means that each letter takes up the same amount of space.³
   • Fixed-space fonts make it easier to estimate how much space the text would take up when printed.³
2. Do not use a sans serif font such as Helvetica or Arial.¹ (Sans serif means it doesn't have the little tags. Serif means it does.)
   1. These fonts can be good for headlines but make for difficult reading in print.¹
   2. Interestingly, san serif fonts are easier than serif fonts to read on monitors.⁴
   3. Some editors have claimed they prefer these fonts.³
3. Use 12 point type unless instructed to use a larger font.¹
   1. Never use a smaller font.
   2. If you're using Times New Roman, some suggest using 14 point type.⁴
   3. You will sometimes see fonts referred to as "pitch," which refers to old typewriters.⁹ Ignore that and use 12 point fonts.
4. Do not change the width of the type.⁶
5. Do not use multiple fonts within your manuscript.¹⁰

Style

• 

  (Creative Commons photo by Mark Kobayashi-Hillary)
  Here are a few basic standards on how your manuscript should be styled.

1. Bold should be reserved for chapter headings and subheadings.¹
2. Turn off hyphenation.⁹
3. Write em dashes as two hyphens (--).^{11 9}
4. Write ellipsis (...) as three individual periods (with or without spaces) and not the condensed version.⁸
   • Don't forget to add a period if it occurs at the end of a sentence.
5. Scene breaks should be indicated using a number sign (#) centered on a blank line.⁹
   • You do not need to do this at the end of a chapter.²
6. Indicate the last page of the manuscript with one of the following, centered:
   • # # # # #⁵
   • The End⁵
   • END⁸
   • -end-¹⁰
7. Do not use all capital letters in your main text.¹⁰ It is fine for chapter titles, but nowhere else.

Italics versus Underlining

• There is some debate about whether italics or underlining should be used. Some editors prefer you use underlining for titles or emphasis instead of italics.³ Underlining is a holdover from the days when manuscripts were not typeset from digital copy and is easier to see.⁷ However, this practice seems to be becoming less popular.⁹

Running Headers

• A running header is expected on articles, short stories, novels and nonfiction books.³ It is printed along the top of every page except the first. Although there is some debate on how it can be formatted, it is agreed that it should contain the following items separated by forward slashes (/):
  1. The author's last name.
  2. The title of the manuscript or a keyword if the title is long.
  3. The page number.

• Beyond that, here are some basic tips on how to format the running header:
  1. Page numbers should not start over at each chapter.⁶
  2. Try to make it as unobtrusive as possible.²
  3. Make sure it is easy to distinguish from the text.²
  4. Position it about 1/2 inch from the top of the page.²
  5. If you have a very common last name, you might want to add your first name.¹

Word Count

• The word count is included as part of your cover page. Typically, it is rounded to the nearest 100 words.¹⁰ There are several ways how to calculate the word count of your manuscript. Here are the two easiest:
  1. Multiply the number of pages in your manuscript by 250.²
  2. Use the word count from your word processing program.⁷
• Chuck Rothman explains a more complex method used by magazine editors in his article "What is a Word?"¹² However, since few writers are going to know how to do this, it is doubtful that editors and publishers will expect you to do this.

Cover Page (Novels and Non-fiction Books)

• Novels and non-fiction books typically require a cover or title page.³
  

  (Creative Commons photo by Dmitry Baranovskiy)

1. In the center of the page, put the following information on separate lines (usually with at least one empty line between them):
   1. The title of the manuscript.
   2. Your name or pseudonym.
2. You also want to put your contact information or the contact information of your agent.
   1. Do NOT forget to include your contact information.
   2. Center it a couple of lines underneath your name, or place in the top left corner.^{3 4}
   3. Your contact information should include your real name, address, phone number, fax number and email address.
3. Your word count can be placed on the right hand side opposite your name, or after your contact information.^{10 3}

First Page (Short Stories and Articles)

• For short story and articles, the contact information, word count and title will go on the first page of the manuscript. No cover page is necessary.

1. In the upper left hand corner, type your name, address, email, phone number and other contact information.
   1. It should be single-spaced.³
   2. Format your contact information as you would on a business letter.¹⁰
2. In the upper right hand corner, write the word count.
3. In the center of the page, write the title of the manuscript.
   1. Use a larger font or bold the title.³ From this point, your manuscript should be double-spaced.
   2. On the next line, write your name or pen name.³
   3. On the next line, begin your article or short story.¹⁰

Chapters

• Each chapter of your manuscript should begin on a new page.⁶ Each chapter should start about halfway down the page with the title of the chapter or a number, if no title. Do not include your byline or any contact information.³

Printing it Out

• Once you have your manuscript formatted, it is time to print it out. Here are some guidelines on how it should be printed.

1. 

   (Creative Commons photo by Evan)
   Use high quality, 8.5 x 11 inch white paper.
   1. In Europe and other countries, use A-4.
   2. This means 20-lb. minimum.
   3. Never use erasable paper.
   4. Paper should have a brightness scale in the high 90s.²
2. Use black ink. Use a fresh cartridge to ensure all the pages print out clearly.²
3. Print on one side of the paper.¹³
4. Do not staple the pages together.¹³

Online Examples

• If you're still a little unclear on how all this fits together, check out some of the following examples that can be found online:

1. William Shunn Manuscript Format: Short Story | Novel | Poem
2. Market Savvy Book Editing: Article Manuscript Format Example  
3. Science Fiction Writer: Complete Sample Manuscript  
4. Camy Tang: Title Page Example | Novel Manuscript Format Example  

Conclusion

• When in doubt, don't be afraid to ask your editor, agent or publisher for clarification on how they want your manuscript formatted. When all else fails, remember to make sure your manuscript is easy to read.

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References for How to Format Your Manuscript

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11} Klein Editorial Services: Standard Manuscript Format
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9} Erotic Fiction by Louisa Burton: Formatting a Novel Manuscript
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14} Writing-World.com: A Quick Guide to Manuscript Format
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Story Sensei: Novel Manuscript Format for CBA Publishers
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Science Fiction Writer: Manuscript Format Checklist
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4} Nathan Bransford - Literary Agent: Formatting Your Manuscript (February 14, 2007)
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Marie Brennan: Standard Manuscript Format
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} Market Savvy Book Editing: Standard Manuscript Formatting
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4} Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America: MS Preparation: Chuck Rothman
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6} Dayton Ward: "Standard" Manuscript Format
11. ↑ Dictionary.com: Em Dash Definition
12. ↑ Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America: What is a Word?
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Mary Soon Lee's Home Page: Standard Manuscript Format