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A clean manuscript is the first thing an editor sees. A professional presentation makes a good impression before the first sentence is read.
Use 12-point serif type, most commonly Times New Roman or a close equivalent. Double-space the text. Set margins to one inch on all sides. Do not justify the text; use left alignment.
Indent new paragraphs by one tab or five spaces. Do not use extra blank lines between paragraphs except to mark scene breaks.
The first page should be a title page. It should include:
If you are sending the manuscript by email, include the title page at the beginning of the first file. If you are sending a hard copy, place the title page first and do not number it.
Number every page except the title page. Place the page number in the top right corner. On each page, include a short header with the title or author name, such as:
SMALL TOWN SUMMER 5
A running header helps an editor keep the pages in order if they are printed or copied.
Begin each chapter on a new page. Center the chapter number or chapter title. Use a blank line or a centered symbol such as *** to mark a scene break within a chapter.
For printed submissions or disk submission, send a formatted file in WordPerfect 5.1 / 6.0 or Microsoft Word 6.0 if requested. If an editor asks for email delivery, send a plain ASCII text file as well. Use only basic characters; avoid smart quotes, unusual punctuation, and non-standard technical marks.
A plain text file should contain the same manuscript layout except without special formatting. Use blank lines to separate paragraphs and plain capital letters for headings. If you are using an editor that supports Text with line breaks, keep the line length to roughly 60–70 characters so it displays cleanly on a terminal or in an email program.
When you prepare your manuscript, also prepare a one-page query letter and a short synopsis. The query letter should state the title, the genre, the word count, a brief pitch, and why you are contacting that publisher or editor. The synopsis should summarize the story from beginning to end in one or two pages.
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Page views since Feb 1993