Many agents and editors have revealed during interviews that when they receive a fiction writing manuscript that isn’t properly formatted, it gets deleted, returned without reading, or even thrown into the trash. This fate can easily be avoided by following standard manuscript submission guidelines.
Manuscript Submission Guidelines
These basic guidelines apply to all forms of fiction submissions, whether for a contest or publication. These standards are the accepted protocol in the publishing industry. They make it easier for editors to read and evaluate manuscripts.
A manuscript should always be printed on clean, white paper. Colored paper, scented paper, or paper with fancy backgrounds or borders is distracting and should never be used.
The submission should be prepared in a word processing program. It should never be typed on a typewriter or handwritten. The font should be Times New Roman 12 or Courier 12, and it should be double spaced. There should be a one inch margin on all edges. This formatting standard applies for email and other electronic submissions.
Formatting the First Page of a Manuscript
The first page of the manuscript is formatted slightly differently from subsequent pages, because it includes full author contact information and word count. The author’s name and not the pseudonym should be listed, followed by a street or mailing address, e-mail address, and telephone number in the upper left side of the first page. The upper right side of the paper should include the word count of the document.
About halfway down the first page is the acceptable placement for the title. The title is typed in all capital letters. Underneath the title, the manuscript should have the word “by” on its own line. Underneath that is where the author’s name should appear. If the author is using a pseudonym or pen name, this is where it belongs. The story should begin 4 lines (2 double spaced returns) below this.
Formatting the Second and Subsequent Pages of a Manuscript
It’s not necessary to include full contact information on subsequent pages, but it is important to include the author’s last name, the story title, and the page number. If any pages of the submission are separated from the manuscript, the editor will be able to quickly put them back in order with this information.
The heading feature in a word processing program will place the proper heading on each page and automatically number them. Each part of the heading should be separated with a backslash. This is how the formatted heading will look:
Author last name / Story title / Page number
Other Guidelines to Double Check Before Submitting a Manuscript
It’s always important to read specific publisher submission guidelines for any requirements that may be different from the industry standard. Some web publishers may require the font to be Verdana 12 or 14. Some editors may want a cover letter and/or synopsis included with the submission. The publisher guidelines will indicate this. Use these tips for writing a synopsis if the editor requests one.
When sending a manuscript through the mail, most editorial guidelines state that paperclips and staples should not be used. The author should include a SASE. That is a self addressed, stamped envelope. The envelope must include enough postage to return the full manuscript. Without a SASE, the publishing house will most likely not reply.
Some authors also include a SASP, a self addressed, stamped postcard. The editor can drop the postcard in the mail to let the author know they received the manuscript submission. Some high volume publishers suggest this in their guidelines.
Before submitting a manuscript, careful authors double check their work to ensure it follows proper formatting and guidelines. They follow the word count limitations. They make sure the publisher accepts the type of writing they are submitting. They read the manuscript aloud to spot any typos, missing words, or other grammatical errors. Some may run the manuscript through editing software, like AutoCrit.
Once everything has been double checked or possibly even triple checked, the manuscript is ready to submit. This handy checklist for submissions will help to make sure nothing is overlooked. Then it’s the author’s fate to wait patiently for a reply. Even with electronic submissions, it may take weeks or even months to hear from a publisher. This is the perfect time to begin a new writing project and to look for other markets for submitting manuscripts.
Suzanne Pitner - Suzanne Pitner is a teacher and published writer. A member of RWA and YARWA, she writes fiction as Suzanne Lilly.
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