![]() Often they will make slight adjustments to standard manuscript format. Standard Manuscript Format will help.ĬAUTION: That said, always read the submission guidelines for wherever you’re submitting. As an author, you want to make it as easy as possible for people to say yes to your writing. If these industry professionals can’t find the information they need, they might not consider the submission. Making it easy for an editor, agent, or publisher to contact the author or check that the story’s parameters meet their needs will paint the author in a positive light. If a piece of writing uses Standard Manuscript Format, the people choosing whether to accept or reject the text can easily find important information like the author’s name, the title, and the word count. Use Standard Manuscript Format to create the white space that inspires editors, agents, and publishers to delve into a piece of writing. White space gives a text readability.įor authors submitting work to publishers, readability could be the difference between someone skimming a text and actually reading each word. One inch margins, double-spacing, and starting each story and chapter halfway down the page create white space in Standard Manuscript Format. However, when an image or white space is added, this oppressive feeling vanishes. A sheet of solid text makes a reader feel exhausted before they even start reading. As an undergraduate college student, I groaned every time a reading was assigned in my physiology textbook because the authors seemed to have challenged one another to fit as many words onto every page as possible. It also leaves space for comments from editors and publishers. Double-spacing further spreads the letters and words out to help readers focus on and follow the lines of text. In fact, Courier New is the font used when therapists help stroke victims relearn how to read. Monospaced fonts are among the easiest to read, regardless of age and vision challenges, with Courier New being the easiest of all. The reason 12 point serif fonts, double-spacing, and other spacing aspects are key to Standard Manuscript Format is readability. It says, “I don’t take this opportunity seriously, nor do I respect the company (magazine, publishing house, etc.) enough to wear my nice shoes and slacks.” Authors should use Standard Manuscript Format to show they are professional and knowledgeable about the publishing industry. Not using SMF is the equivalent of showing up to an interview for a high-level corporate management position in old jeans and flip-flops. By arranging a manuscript in this way, authors are telling the person reviewing their submission they did their homework, and the author is demonstrating knowledge of and respect for the industry standards. The first and arguably most important reason authors should use Standard Manuscript Format is to appear professional. There are three primary reasons all authors should use Standard Manuscript Format whenever possible. The story begins halfway or two thirds down the second page (all new chapters or parts begin this way), and this page should be numbered 1 and have the header. At the bottom, include an approximate word count. The title and any pen name go in the middle of the title page. The upper left corner of this page contains the author’s name, address, phone number, and email. Novels and other long stories should have a title page. The header should be right aligned and contain the author’s last name, the piece’s title, and the page number. The two most common exceptions are the first paragraph of a story and the first paragraph of a new chapter/part or after a scene break. Note: Most paragraphs should be indented. Extra space between paragraphs indicates a scene break, point of view shift, or the passing of time.ġ in margins (again, this is likely your automatic computer setting) ![]() The paragraphs should have the same spacing as the lines. ![]() Note: There should not be extra space between paragraphs such as in a business letter. However, if you are not a screenwriter, this is seen as old-fashioned.ĭouble-spaced - this is a setting on your computer that puts a space between each line Note: the standard used to be a monospaced serif font where each letter was given the same space on the page like a typewriter. Serif font - this means a font with the feet at the end of each letterthat’s easy to read such as Times New Roman or Courier New Here are the basic requirements for standard manuscript format:Ĩ.5 in x 11 in paper (aka A4 or regular printer paper and the size most document programs automatically set a page to) ![]() William Shunn’s website has been the go to example for years. Standard Manuscript Format is the way a text is presented to readers.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |