Subgenre: For some genres, including romance and sci-fi, you can include the subgenre, such as suspense or Regency. The title page is not included in page numbering. Page header: Header information is not included on the title page.
#NON BREAKING SPACE IN WORD FOR MAC 2011 FULL#
Title and author: About 1/2 the way down the page, centered, enter the full manuscript title (all caps or mixed caps) on the next double-spaced line, type by or a novel by or a story by on the next double-spaced line, add your pen name or your real name plus your pen name-Alexis Chesterfield writing as Billie ThomasĪgent: If you have an agent, include the agent’s contact name and information beneath your name (yes, skip a line) Alternatively, you can set word count apart by listing it at the top of the right side of the title page. It’s just a good habit to get into, especially for those of us who learned on typewriters and always added two spaces between sentences.Ĭontact info: Aligned left and single spaced, near the top of the page, include contact information: Your real/legal name, address, phone number, e-mail address. If you forget this one, nobody’s going to turn down your manuscript because of it. (A former practice was to underline to show italicized words, but that’s no longer necessary unless an agent or publisher requests underlining.)Ĭharacter spacing: Use a single character space only, not two spaces, between sentences. Italics: Use italics for italicized words. You want agents and editors to know they’ve reached the end. Skip a couple of spaces and begin the text of the chapter.Įnd: Center a number sign # on an otherwise blank line one double-spaced line down from the final line of text of the final chapter or epilogue at the end of the manuscript. Center the chapter title, even if it’s only Chapter One (or Chapter 1), about 1/3 of the way down the page. ( Jones/Taming the Monster/1)Ĭhapters: Begin chapters on new pages (insert a page break or format using styles). Align the header to the right, so the information doesn’t interfere with the text of the manuscript. Page header: Include your last name, your title (or keywords from the title), and the page number in the page header of every page except for the title page. Scene breaks: Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centering the number sign # in the center of the line
Page numbering: Number pages beginning with the actual story (don’t count or put page numbers on the title page) The right edges will not be uniform or even. Space: Double space no extra line spaces between paragraphsĪlign: Align left ( not justified). Indent: Half-inch paragraph indentations (this tab is pre-set in MS Word) for the first line of each paragraph (even the first paragraph of a chapter) Margins: One-inch margins on all four sides Checking out the specs should be your first step.Īdapt your manuscript for each agent or publisher (most will be remarkably similar).įor any agent or publisher without a specific format, follow an accepted format for novel manuscripts, such as this one-įont: Twelve point, Times New Roman (or Courier New, if you insist), black Yes, many publish their specs and formatting requirements right on their websites. So how do you format a novel manuscript an acceptable way?įind out what the agent or publisher recommends. Don’t be the joke of the week at your favorite publishing house.ĭon’t give harried agents and editors an excuse to toss your manuscript before they’ve read the first word. You want an agent or editor talking about your submission, but for the right reasons. No illustrations or graphics such as your five-year-old son’s artwork for a suggested cover. There really is a time to blend in with others, to be just one of the crowd, and this is that time. Let your creativity shine through your story, not your manuscript format. If you have a font you just love looking at, use it while you’re writing.īut when you’re ready to submit your novel to an agent or publisher, follow the guidelines. If you want a purple font on a pink background, have at it. You can format your novel manuscript any way you want as you’re writing and editing. Overflow Comments for Manuscript Formatting.
Not answered here, please link through to this article. If you have comments or questions about manuscript formatting that are
On July 25, 2013, I closed this article to new comments because the volume of comments and their length was causing problems for the page’s setup. Januby Fiction Editor Beth Hill last modified May 1, 2016
0 kommentar(er)
