Someday I am going to teach a class on how to format your manuscript so that your agent and editor will love you forever. You will pay me $5-$10, I will teach you how to use hotkeys, a legion of editorial assistants will hail me as a goddess.
OKAY, apparently there is *interest* in this, so see below for a good old thread. If you actually wanna pay me $5 we can talk about it later, first I'm gonna do the world a service.
DISCLAIMER: Obviously I am but one editor among many, and these are my opinions. BUT I do think they are very good general advice that will not get you in trouble.
Also, some of this will seem PAINFULLY obvious, but you would not believe what some people do in their Word docs.
Also, some of this will seem PAINFULLY obvious, but you would not believe what some people do in their Word docs.
THE BASICS:
1. Times. New Roman. 12 point. If you'd rather die than use TNR, use Garamond. Nothing else.
2. Double spaced. I'm going blind as it is, please save me.
3. Regular human indents.
4. 1 inch margins all the way around. We're talking 10th grade English class here.
1. Times. New Roman. 12 point. If you'd rather die than use TNR, use Garamond. Nothing else.
2. Double spaced. I'm going blind as it is, please save me.
3. Regular human indents.
4. 1 inch margins all the way around. We're talking 10th grade English class here.
HOTKEYS/GENERAL TIPS
1. Most important!!! Control+Enter at the end of a chapter! Please! Please!
2. Control+E to center
3. Control+* to show formatting marks. This is your best friend.
4. I can't stress enough: control+enter at the end of chapters. Saves you, saves me!
1. Most important!!! Control+Enter at the end of a chapter! Please! Please!
2. Control+E to center
3. Control+* to show formatting marks. This is your best friend.
4. I can't stress enough: control+enter at the end of chapters. Saves you, saves me!
Why the above? Because very often editors/assistants have to make bound manuscripts to get blurbs, etc. and these are just fancy printed Word docs that we have to format to look vaguely human. Do a solid and set us up to win.
FOR SUBMISSIONS
1. If you have a running head (I don't love them, but whatever), check to see if it contains the same title as the one in your sub letter/query/pitch!
2. Page numbers page numbers PAGE NUMBERS
3. No track changes. Even if you think you fixed them, check again.
1. If you have a running head (I don't love them, but whatever), check to see if it contains the same title as the one in your sub letter/query/pitch!
2. Page numbers page numbers PAGE NUMBERS
3. No track changes. Even if you think you fixed them, check again.
FOR SUBMISSIONS, CONT.
4. Read your whole manuscript to check for "INSERT NAME HERE" or "blah blah blah." It happens, but it does feel unprofessional.
5. Did I mention page numbers?
6. I always prefer a Word doc to a PDF or anything else, but that's just me.
4. Read your whole manuscript to check for "INSERT NAME HERE" or "blah blah blah." It happens, but it does feel unprofessional.
5. Did I mention page numbers?
6. I always prefer a Word doc to a PDF or anything else, but that's just me.
Okay, that's it from my soapbox unless I think of anything else! Let me know if you have questions!
So @TiffanyDiahann brings up a good point, re: paragraph indents! It is much, much easier to go to the paragraph settings and change them for the whole doc - usually about 0.3 to 0.5! Rather than hitting tab.
