Writer's Author's Guide - BetterScribe · Editors of magazines and anthologies are just as busy as...

The

Writer's & Author's Guide

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Kelly Hart

Scribe – Formatting – 2

© Copyright. Better Scribe.

Contents

The Importance of Manuscript Formatting 3

How to Format Your Novel Manuscript 4

Novel Manuscript Formatting Example 6

How to Format Your Short Story Manuscript 9

Short Story Manuscript Formatting Example 11

How to Format Your Nonfiction Manuscript 13

Nonfiction Manuscript Formatting Example 16

Your Exclusive Subscriber Offer 20



The Importance of Manuscript Formatting

This formatting guide has been produced by Better Scribe to help all writers in their journey to being published. The guide itself may be updated or occasionally added to, so to ensure you have the most updated and relevant version, Better Scribe subscribers will automatically be emailed any future updated versions.

It doesn’t matter if you’re producing short stories, novellas, novels or any other form of writing; they all have their own formatting standards to which you must adhere to. It also doesn’t matter if you’re intending to become an independently published author or submit to traditional publishers. Formatting correctly can be the difference in saving hundreds of dollars or being

accepted by publishers or agents. For writers looking to become independently published authors, the formatting process will cut down your costs when the time comes for manuscript assessment, proofreading, editing and typesetting. The service professionals that carry out this work will charge more to reformat and clean up a messy and poorly formatted manuscript before they can even begin their work. This is also an important step for writers and authors who are submitting to traditional publishers and agents, as they won’t look at your manuscript submission if it’s not to an industry standard. They won’t spend their valuable time reviewing a manuscript that hasn’t had the necessary preparation. They receive many submissions and will simply move on to the next one that is formatted and easier to read. This is why formatting to industry standard is so important. This guide shows you how to format your manuscript correctly and provides examples of what a finished manuscript should look like. You will notice that none of the examples provided in this guide look like a book; this is because the design and layout is done at a later stage using specialised software that is incompatible with some of the advanced features of word processing software. Please stick to standard formatting as shown in this guide as it will facilitate the process for everyone involved in creating your end product, whether a book, magazine article, etc. If you have any questions about this guide, please email [email protected].



How to Format Your Novel Manuscript

Below are the formatting settings you need to apply to your novel manuscript to make it industry standard. The easiest way I have found to use these is to print a copy and use it as a checklist. Checking the formatting example will show you if you’re on the right track. Your title page should include:

• The title of the work should be centred in the middle of the page.

• The name of the author should be below the title of the work.

• Your approximate word count (to the nearest hundred) should be just below the author’s name, as shown in the example on page 6.

• Your contact details should be in the same font and size as the manuscript font

in the bottom right-hand corner of the title page. If you have an agent, you should include their details in the top left-hand corner of the title page. Your manuscript should be formatted as follows:

• Set the margins for your document at 3 cm (1.18 inches) on all four sides.

• Align to the left-hand side only; the right-hand side should remain jagged.

• Use 12-point Times New Roman (Courier and Arial fonts may also be acceptable as they are non-proportional) in black type only.

• Lines are to be double-spaced with no extra spaces between paragraphs.

• Single space between sentences after periods/full stops.

• Indent new paragraphs and each new section of dialogue, with the exception of

the opening paragraph of a chapter or scene break. (Please do not do this by hitting the tab key. Set your document up in Word through Format>Paragraph>Section – set to 1.25 cm (0.5 inches).)

• Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centring the hash sign (#) on

it.

• Insert a key word from the title in the top right header with the page number and your last name (e.g. Scribe – Formatting – 4).



TIP: If you don’t want your header to appear on your title page you can double click inside the header itself, and this will bring up your header design tool bar. If you tick the Different First Page option, the header on the first page will disappear.

• Begin chapters on new pages. Centre the chapter title, even if it’s only Chapter

One (or Chapter 1), about one-third of the way down the page. Skip a couple of lines before beginning the text of the chapter.

• Centre a hash sign (#) one double-spaced blank line down at the end of the

manuscript, or simply write THE END. Alternatively, you can do neither, providing your story doesn’t end near the bottom of the page as this could cause confusion over whether the story is complete or pages are missing.

• Use italics for emphasised words. Never underline for emphasis in novels.

IMPORTANT: When submitting a manuscript to a publisher, agent or an editor, it should be one continuous document, not saved with chapters as separate files. In addition, most publishers, agents and editors will only accept Microsoft Word documents or documents that have been converted to Word. Having followed these steps, you should now have your novel manuscript formatted to industry standard. On the next page you’ll see an example of what your manuscript should look like when correctly formatted using the steps above.

Remember to backup

Please make sure that you retain a copy of your manuscript on file. It’s also a good idea to make sure you have a back-up copy in some other format (paper, USB, Dropbox) in case your computer decides to crash.



(Agent’s name and details go here. If you don’t have an agent then leave blank. Agent information is not required for authors publishing independently.)

NOVEL MANUSCRIPT FORMATTING EXAMPLE

by

Better Scribe (If you have a pen name put it here)

Approx 80,000 words

Better Scribe (Real name only here) Address

Phone Number [email protected]

www.BetterScribe.com

mailto:[email protected]



Chapter One

This is an example of what your chapters should look like. There will be 3 cm margins

on all four sides. The writing itself should be aligned only to the left-hand side of the

page, which means the right-hand side should look jagged or uneven. Use black 12-

point font; it’s best to stick to Times New Roman as this is widely accepted by most

professionals.

Use double spacing with no extra space between paragraphs unless you are

signalling a scene break, which you can do by either leaving a blank line between

scenes or by centring a hash sign on that line and continuing on the next line. Because

this is how you signal a transition in scene or time, don’t use it for every paragraph in a

novel; instead, indent each new paragraph except those starting a chapter or those

starting a new scene after a line break.

“Even dialogue should be indented,” Better Scribe said.

A new chapter always begins on a new page about one-third of the way down.

After you centre your chapter heading (Chapter One in this example), leave a couple of

blank lines before starting.



#

There are a few other rules to remember when formatting your manuscript; one of these

is to use single spaces after full stops. Another is to use italics for emphasised words.

For the page headers in your manuscript simply insert a key word from the title

in the top right corner, together with the page number and your last name (e.g. Scribe –

Formatting – 8, as in the example at the top of this page).

To finish up you can leave one double-spaced blank line at the end of the

manuscript before centring a hash sign in the middle of that line (as I have for the text

break above), or simply write THE END. You want agents and editors to know they’ve

reached the end; you don’t want them to wonder if you simply forgot to add some

pages.

Remember, this is just an example of what your pages should look like. Please

check the formatting guidelines of the company you intend to submit to for further

information.

THE END



How to Format Your Short Story Manuscript

Short story formatting is slightly different from novel manuscript formatting, and it’s always a good idea to check submission guidelines for each magazine or anthology you wish to submit to, as they can differ. Editors of magazines and anthologies are just as busy as agents and publishers, so it’s important that their first impression of your manuscript is a good one. The best way to do this is to ensure you have adhered to professional presentation. Your first page should include:

• The title of the work.

• Your approximate word count (to the nearest hundred).

• Your contact details, formatted in the same font and size as the manuscript font.

• The beginning of your story.

An example of how this information should be set out is provided on page 11. Your short story manuscript should be formatted as follows:



• Use 12-point Courier (Times New Roman and Arial fonts may also be acceptable; check the submission guidelines of the magazine or anthology) in black type only.



• Indent new paragraphs and each new section of dialogue, with the exception of a

scene break paragraph. (Please do not do this by hitting the tab key. Set your document up in Word through Format>Paragraph>Section – set to 1.25 cm (0.5 inches).)

• Indicate scene breaks by inserting a blank line and centring the hash sign (#) on

it.



• Insert a key word from the title in the top right header with the page number and your last name (e.g. Scribe – Formatting – 10, as seen at the top of this page; no header on the first page).



manuscript, or simply write THE END. Alternatively, you can do neither, providing your story doesn’t end near the bottom of the page as this could cause confusion over whether the story is complete or pages are missing.

• Use underlining to emphasise words if using Courier font. If using Times New

Roman you can use italics. (Check the submission guidelines.) IMPORTANT: When submitting a manuscript to a publisher, agent or an editor, it should be one continuous document. In addition, most publishers, agents and editors will only accept Microsoft Word documents or documents that have been converted to Word. Having followed these steps, you should now have your short story manuscript formatted to industry standard. On the next page you’ll see an example of what your manuscript should look like when correctly formatted using the steps above. Please make sure to check the manuscript submission guidelines of the magazine or anthology to which you are submitting your work.

Remember to backup




Better Scribe Address Address line 2 Phone no. [email protected]

SHORT STORY MANUSCRIPT FORMATTING EXAMPLE

by Better Scribe

This is an example of what your short story should

look like. There will be 3 cm margins on all four sides.

The writing itself should be aligned only to the left-hand

side of the page, which means the right-hand side should

look jagged or uneven. Use black 12-point font; it’s best

to stick to Courier unless another font is requested.

Use double spacing with no extra space between

paragraphs unless you’re signalling a scene break, which

you can do by centring a hash sign on a blank line and then

resuming on the next line. Indent dialogue and each new

paragraph, except the paragraphs that start a new scene

after a scene break.

“Even dialogue should be indented,” Better Scribe

said.

about 400 words



#

There are a few other rules to remember when formatting

your manuscript; one of these is to use single spaces after

full stops (check submission guidelines, as some magazines

still want two spaces after periods).

When using Courier font it’s standard to underline

words you want to emphasise. If the guidelines have asked

for Times New Roman font, you should use italics for

emphasis instead.

For the page headers in your manuscript simply insert

a key word or two from the title in the top right header,

together with the page number and your last name (e.g.

Scribe – Formatting - 12, as shown at the top of this

page). Do not include a header on the first page.

To finish up you can leave one double-spaced blank

line at the end of the manuscript before centring a hash

sign in the middle of that line (as I did for the scene

break above), or simply write THE END. Alternatively you

can do neither, but if your writing finishes near the

bottom of a page it’s best to use an indication that your

story has finished to avoid confusion.

THE END



How to Format Your Nonfiction Manuscript

Below are the formatting settings you need to apply to your nonfiction manuscript to make it industry standard. The easiest way I have found to use these is to print a copy and use it as a checklist. If your intentions are to submit it to a publisher or an agent, please check their guidelines first as they may vary. Your title page should include:

• The title of the work should be centred in the middle of the page.

• The name of the author should be below the title of the work.

• Your approximate word count (to the nearest hundred) should be just below the author’s name, as shown in the example on page 16.

• Your contact details should be in the same font and size as the manuscript font

in the bottom right-hand corner of the title page. If you have an agent, you should include their details in the top left-hand corner of the title page. Your manuscript should be formatted as follows:



• Use 12-point Times New Roman (Courier and Arial fonts may also be acceptable as they are non-proportional) in black type only.



• Indent new paragraphs with the exception of the opening paragraph of a chapter

or scene break. (Please do not do this by hitting the tab key. Set your document up in Word through Format>Paragraph>Section – set to 1.25 cm (0.5 inches).)

• Indicate a break in text (that is not for a new chapter or heading) by inserting a

blank line and centring the hash sign (#) on it.

• Insert a key word from the title in the top right header with the page number and your last name (e.g. Scribe – Formatting – 13)




• Begin chapters on new pages. Centre the chapter title, even if it’s only Chapter

One (or Chapter 1), about one-third of the way down the page. Skip a couple of lines before beginning the text of the chapter.


manuscript, or simply write THE END. Alternatively, you can do neither, providing your writing end near the bottom of the page as this could cause confusion over whether the manuscript is complete or pages are missing.

• Use italics for emphasised words. Never underline in nonfiction.

• You can use bold sparingly to highlight important information.

• Headings and subheadings must be larger and formatted differently from your

main text (e.g. bold or italics). Headings should also be easily distinguishable from subheadings. An easy way to do this is to set up different styles for headings; I’m in the process of creating a video to show you how to do this.

• If you need to use tables in your nonfiction manuscript, you can but do this by

using Insert>Table rather than creating a table manually using the Tab key.

• Never use columns as this may alter the layout of the rest of your document.

• Short quotes should be enclosed within single quotation marks (‘ ’) in the body of a paragraph. Double quotation marks (“ ”) should be used within single ones for ‘quotes within quotes’.

• Longer quotes, or ones that you wish to stand out, should be given a separate paragraph with a left tab indent (these are often called ‘block quotes’).

• Referencing will depend on how you are publishing. Some publishers will allow

footnotes, others don’t. If you are publishing independently you will have to choose what you think is best for your target audience. One thing is certain; you must make sure your references are complete.

IMPORTANT: When submitting a manuscript to a publisher, agent or an editor, it should be one continuous document, not saved with chapters as separate files. In addition, most publishers, agents and editors will only accept Microsoft Word documents or documents that have been converted to Word.



Having followed these steps, you should now have your nonfiction manuscript formatted to industry standard. On the next page you’ll see an example of what your manuscript should look like when correctly formatted using the steps above.

Remember to backup




(Agent’s name and details go here. If you don’t have an agent then leave blank. Agent information is not required for authors publishing independently.)

NONFICTION MANUSCRIPT FORMATTING EXAMPLE

by

Better Scribe (If you have a pen name put it here)

Approx 80,000 words

Better Scribe (Real name only here) Address

Phone Number [email protected]

www.BetterScribe.com

mailto:[email protected]



Chapter One

This is an example of what your chapters should look like. There will be 3 cm margins

on all four sides. The writing itself should be aligned only to the left-hand side of the

page, which means the right-hand side should look jagged or uneven. Use black 12-

point font; it’s best to stick to Times New Roman as this is widely accepted by most

professionals.

Use double spacing with no extra space between paragraphs unless you are

signalling a break in the text, which you can do by either leaving a blank line between

the text or by centring a hash sign on that line and continuing on the next line. This is

how you signal a transition, so don’t use it for every paragraph in your nonfiction;

instead, indent each new paragraph except those starting a chapter or those after a line

break.

Better Scribe says, ‘Quotes should be in single quotation marks’.



A new chapter always begins on a new page about one-third of the way down.

After you centre your chapter heading (Chapter One in this example), leave a couple of

blank lines before starting.

#

There are a few other rules to remember when formatting your manuscript; one of these

is to use single spaces after full stops. Another is to use italics for emphasised words.

Bold is also permissible if you wish to emphasise a word, phrase or heading.

For the page headers in your manuscript simply insert a key word from the title

in the top right corner, together with the page number and your last name (e.g. Scribe –

Formatting – 18, as in the example at the top of this page).

• Bullets, like this, are permitted if they help clarify or simplify what you

wish to say.

• Tables are allowable providing they suit the purpose. Create them by

using the table feature in Word; DO NOT create tables manually using

the Tab key.

Fiction Nonfiction

To finish up you can leave one double-spaced blank line at the end of the manuscript

before centring a hash sign in the middle of that line (as I have done for the text break

above), or simply write THE END. You want agents and editors to know they’ve

reached the end; you don’t want them to wonder if you simply forgot to add some

pages.



Remember, this is just an example of what your pages should look like. Please

check the formatting guidelines of the company you intend to submit to for further

information.

THE END



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Writer's Author's Guide - BetterScribe · Editors of magazines and anthologies are just as busy as...

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