When a literary professional receives bulk submissions, they need to pare them down. We go into details for more specifics for formatting a manuscript down below- click here to jump down there. The basic method for formatting a manuscript is to use 8.5 by 11-inch paper (A4 paper size), a simple serif font sized between 10-12 with 1-inch margins on all sides. We just don’t typically write books by hand anymore, but the full term has stuck around.

Ultimately, a manuscript is your draft of the book or story you’re writing. The term manuscript in current times is used to describe an early draft of a book, novel, or short story, though the origin of the term comes from “manu scriptus” which means “written by hand” in Latin. At Self-Publishing School, we now offer this with our core offer programs. Related: If you’re not looking for manuscript formatting, but rather looking for book formatting, check out this article. #5 – Submitting your manuscript to editors, agents, and publishers Here are the basic manuscript formatting standards:

Give your story the proper chance it deserves. Just like a hiring manager often throws out resumes that boast “attention to detail” while they are riddled with typos, an agent or editor can be just as quick to toss a manuscript because the writer failed to comply with basic formatting and submission requests.Īnd then your chances are shot…all because of formatting mistakes I’ll help you fix in this blog post. Speaking from experience as a professional development coach and former literary magazine editor: neatness and precision count. Not taking note of these rules can set you back immeasurably when it comes to becoming a successful author. Place the month, date, and year after the Instructor(s) name(s).Did you know there are specific industry standards to adhere to in formatting your manuscript?.Check with your instructor on the preferred name.Include your instructor(s) name below the Course Name.Put the course number and name below the Author Affiliation.Locations should include the city, state, province, and country. Example: Hematology/Oncology, Cook Children's Medical Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.Include the location of the institution.Example: College of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington.Include the name of the department and the name of the institution separated by a comma.Include no more than two affiliations for each author.Identify where you worked or studied when the body of work was completed.Use the word 'and' instead of the & symbol between the authors as follows:.Write all of the names on the same line.Order the names of authors based on their contributions.Beneath the title, type the author's or authors' full name(s).The paper title also appears at the top of the first page of your paper.Put a double-spaced blank line between the title and the byline.Be bolded, centered, and begin 3-4 lines down from the top margin of the paper.The title should be provided in title case. This means that all major words are capitalized.Include strong keywords so that readers can find your work in a database or by using a search engine.Should summarize the main idea in a succinct way.Your title page and paper is double-spaced. Remember, your instructor can include other requirements for your assignment. The title page includes the following elements: Page number, Paper title, Author, Author Affiliation, Course, Instructor, and Due Date.

Manuscript title page with two authors