The publishing process can seem like a mystery to many writers who are unpublished. It can even feel mysterious for those who have published. Whether or not you are submitting to a self-publishing or traditional publishing company or to a literary magazine or an agent, it is important to submit a manuscript in a standard format. First impressions are the most important aspect of this step in the publishing process. If you submit a messy manuscript, the agent, acquisitions editor, proofreader–whoever–will remember. They might even simply discard your manuscript, because if it looks like you didn’t spend any time on your work, then why would the publishing professional waste his or her time? I am going to walk you through the process of preparing your manuscript for submission, so that at least this part of the process will not remain a mystery.
Here are the basics:
1 inch margin: Most manuscripts are electronically submitted, so the margins aren’t as important as they used to be for note-taking, but standards are standards. A manuscript with too large of margins will look elementary and underdeveloped, like the author was trying to stretch the page count. A manuscript with too small of margins will appear daunting or appear as if the author wanted to shrink the page count. You want your text to look well-formatted on the page, and 1 inch margins is the first step.
Standard font in 11 or 12 pt. font size: This cannot be stressed enough. Because you’ve asked a person to read thousands, or perhaps tens of thousands, of words of your writing, you want to make it as easy on their eyes as possible. This means no unusual fonts. Since most manuscripts are handled online now, it’s best to choose a font made for easy reading such as Georgia (designed for computer reading) and Garamond, but you can never go wrong with Times New Roman. And unless you typed your manuscript on a typewriter, do not submit your manuscript in a typewriter-styled font like Courier. (Side note: if you are submitting a screenplay, disregard this advice. All screenplays must be submitted in Courier 12 pt. font). If you are unsure of which font to use, stick with the default font on your word. For Microsoft Word, that’s Arial.
Double-spaced lines: This advice goes along with the previous two pieces of advice. Double-spacing your lines makes the manuscript easier on the eyes. In physical manuscripts, it allows room for proofreading marks and notes. Submitting a manuscript that is not double-spaced is one of the quickest signals that you have not done your research.
Footer or header with page number and last name: This piece of advice might seem less intuitive than the previous points, but it’s just as important. Reviewing manuscripts is often a process that requires a lot of reference. Having the page number and last name on each page makes the reader’s job that much easier. And you want to keep things easy, because you are usually asking the other person to take a chance on you. Assume their time is as valuable as yours.
Other advice to keep in mind:
As tempting as it may be to look more professional, it is unnecessary to create a book template for your manuscript. The editorial process is made more difficult by text that is not in plain body text format. Do not justify the body text, because it messes with the kerning and makes reading more difficult.
And even if you are not an expert proofreader, you should only submit a manuscript in the best condition you are able to submit it in. Read it over several times for errors. Even if you are submitting an incomplete draft, those few chapters should look as best that you can make them. You wouldn’t walk into a job interview with your belt unbuckled or your shoes untied. This is what a sloppy manuscript looks like to a professional in the industry.
All of the rules I have described here are subject to change depending on where you want to submit your manuscript. Literary magazines, agents, self-publishing companies, and traditional publishing companies will often have guidelines on their websites to help you decide how to format your manuscript. Do your research! Your effort will show, but you can almost never go wrong sticking to the basics.
