written page of your latest creation

Looking at the last written page of your latest creation, you breath a sigh of relief. Your manuscript is finished! Those, learn to write classes, are behind you. No more burning the midnight oil, only to wake and find yourself slumped over your desk. Through blurry eyes, you see the only reminder of the last five hours of writers block. A carpet full of crumpled up paper balls. The results of your labor over the last eight years, is now in print. Granted, it is not the kind of print you want, but the first half of the project is now behind you. The next half, getting it published, can be the most difficult.

The appropriate format is the first thing a publishing company will look for. The hundreds of submissions received every month, must pass the first test before it goes any further down the line. That test is primarily a visual test. If the document looks "off" a the first glance, it will not go any farther. That means that all your hard work could wind up in the trash. Without so much as one word of your precious project having been read.

To prevent this from happening, follow the next few tips. The classes you took with lessons on how to learn to write, may have covered these tips. Never the less, they bare repeating. Check with the publisher before sending illustrations with your manuscript. Most publishers have a staff of publishers to illustrate for them. Check publisher guidelines for the appropriate process as each publisher has their own instructions.

Manuscript Basics:

#1. Use only good quality white paper. Never use erasable or colored paper. This is a dead give away that a novice has written this document.


#2. Double Space. Use double spacing between each sentence.

#3. Use at least one inch margins all around each page.

#4. Use a font that is clear and readable. Make sure your font is legible. In some fonts, the letters squish up and make some words illegible .

#5. Paragraphs. Paragraphs should be indicated by indentation only. Do not use tabs or extra spacing between lines.

#6. Running Headers. Headers are expected at the top of every page, except the first. Headers are 2-3 words that tag the pages so that if they get separated from the body, they can be replaced in the right manuscript.

#7. First Page Articles and short stories will have your name, address and contact information in the upper left hand corner. It should be single spaced, block form. Estimated word count is positioned on the upper right hand corner. About halfway down, center your title(using a larger font than than the text.) Skip down a couple of lines and center your name, with the font size returned to the original size. Skip another two lines and start your article. Number pages consecutively. Start with page two. Leave first page blank.

Following these guidelines will make those learn to write classes, come pay off. When you see your name in print, it will be worth it all. A publishing house out there that is just waiting to see your name in print.