Formatting a Manuscript – a few basics

Most editors, agents and publishers ask for submissions in an easy to read font. They are not impressed by fancy fonts or strange colours. Using them may make your submission stand out, but not in the way you hope.

Use 12 point Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier, as these are generally considered acceptable.

Line Spacing & Paragraphs

General submissions:
Most magazines, agents and publishers will ask for manuscripts to be double spaced. If this is the case, the first paragraph should be blocked to the left (no indent) and subsequent paragraphs indented.

Each new chapter, or change of scene, begins blocked to the left with subsequent paragraphs and dialogue indented.

Email submissions:
If the guidelines state email submissions are accepted, they will normally say whether to send the document as an attachment, in which case line space and indent as above. If the guidelines ask for work to be submitted in the body of the email, you should use single spacing and leave a line between paragraphs. Do remember that each new section of dialogue should be treated as a new paragraph and separated by a line of space.

Margins

For all submissions, other than those sent in the body of an email, you should have generous margins all round. Set your margins for one and a half inches (3.8cm) by going to the File menu and choosing Page Setup. This will open a new window where the margins can be changed.

The reason for the wide margins is a simple one, editors like to make notes and comments on manuscripts and it is easier for them to do so if there is plenty of white space around the document.

Numbering Pages

Unless told otherwise, all submissions (other than in the body of an email) should be numbered sequentially, either in the header in the top right-hand corner after your name and the title, or in the footer of each page

	This article is taken from The Writer's ABC Checklist, co-written by Lorraine Mace and Maureen Vincent-Northam. The guidebook is written with all budding writers in mind, to help them present works that end up in the shortlist, not the shredder. Information is presented in a concise A - Z format, and unfamiliar terms are explained, taking the novice through each step in the submission process.