New writers unintentionally put themselves at a disadvantage when they submit manuscripts that deviate from "industry standards." Indeed, your good writing may not even be read by busy agents or publishers' overburdened acquisitions editors if you don't present your manuscript in a "correct" format.
A friend, an author of several suspense novels, gives this sage advice to aspiring writers: "Never give an editor any reason to reject your work other than its story content." By that, he means, of course, not to allow your work to be rejected for purely "cosmetic" reasons for having submitted an "unprofessional" presentation.
Below, you'll find some general instructions about how to prepare your manuscript in a professional manner. For more specific instructions, I refer you to Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript by Cynthia Laufenberg and Editors of Writer's Digest Books (F&W Publications, 2nd Edition, 2004). ISBN 1-58297-290-7.
Always double-space your text, even material quoted from other sources. Indent the first line of each new paragraph five spaces. Do not triple- or quadruple-space between paragraphs. Allow margins of 1 to 1-1/2 inches at left, right, top and bottom of every page. Editors will appreciate your leaving sufficient space for their editing marks and comments.
Number your pages. Make it easy for your editor to assemble your pages if they get in a mixed order. Computer users can use a word processor feature that automatically numbers pages sequentially in headers at the top of the page or in footers at the bottom. You can also use page headers to insert your last name and one or two key words from the title of your work.
Turn off your word processor's right-hand justification feature. "Ragged right" is exactly what editors expect to see at the right margin. Also, turn off your automatic hyphenation feature. Do, however, turn on your automatic widow/orphan protection feature. (A widow is the first line of a paragraph, printed as the last line on a page. An orphan is the last line of a paragraph, printed at the top of a new page.)
Print on only one side of the page, not on both sides.
Not too long ago, most editors expected to see only one font: plain-vanilla Courier, preferably spaced at 10 characters per inch.
WordPerfect users should select "Courier 10cpi" from their font menu. Users of Microsoft Word and other text processing software should select the "Courier 12" or "New Courier 12" font. In this case, the "12" refers to the height of the type, expressed in "points," not the number of characters per inch.
Why, you may ask, was Courier formerly the font of choice? After all, Times Roman or Century Schoolbook and many other fonts are more attractive than Courier. Truth is, Courier is what editors and typesetters have seen since the days of the manual typewriter, and they claim it's easier on their eyes. So please go out of your way to humor them. Does this mean an editor necessarily will reject out of hand those manuscripts presented in a non-Courier font? Of course not, but you're wise to follow the "rules," as illogical as they may seem. In recent years, however, book editors have told me they are no longer as insistent on receiving manuscripts printed with the Courier font as they once were.
Another caveat: Do not use your word processor's built-in feature for typing italic, or slanted type. Instead, simply underline words, phrases or stretches of text that will appear in italic type when type is set for your book. Why? Because underlining is what typesetters are used to seeing to indicate the italic font.
Frequently, writers want to signal to readers that they are changing viewpoint characters, shifting the next scene to a new location or jumping ahead or jumping backward in time (a "flashback"). One way to do this smoothly is to use a device, the "line space." It's a double space, or two carriage returns if you work on a typewriter, or two pressings of the ENTER key if you're using a computer.
In your manuscript, however, you must mark a line space so that the publisher's typesetters and layout artists know that it's a deliberate space that should appear in the finished book. Usually, a line space is marked in a manuscript with three centered asterisks. The asterisks will usually appear in the finished books only if the line space falls at a page break. Otherwise, they will be deleted, leaving only a blank line.
A publisher's editors and production department need to know approximately how long your proposed work will be. They use this information to arrive at cost estimates that will determine the retail price of your book and, ultimately, the amount of your advance.
For a quick estimate of your total word count, simply multiply the number of pages in your manuscript by 250 words if you've used 1-inch margins left and right, or by 225 words if you've used wider margins.
Do not use your word processor's automatic absolute word counting feature to estimate the overall word count. Invariably, its word count will be too low because it does not account for the white space on partially full pages.
If you wish, you may use paper clips or binder clips or rubber bands to hold your pages together. Never use staples! Use a binder only if you are submitting a stage play or a movie or television screenplay. Editors prefer to deal with loose pages. Loose pages are also easier to duplicate on copier machines.
Do not include a copyright symbol (©) or a slug line (Copyright 1998 by Joseph P. Wannabe) with your manuscript. Although some writers' magazines recommend this practice, most editors and agents (including myself) think it's a sign of a newbie's paranoia.
Why? Such measures aren't really needed to protect your work. By common law, your intellectual property belongs to you at the moment of its creation when you place your words on paper or digitize them on magnetic media.
It's unnecessary for most writers to register their manuscripts with the U.S. Copyright Office. Your publisher will register a copyright in your name before your book comes off press.
Another point: Suppose you or your editor want to make extensive changes to the manuscript you've copyrighted on you own. That would require copyrighting it again -- a silly, expensive, unnecessary step.
For more information about copyrights, see Benedict O'Mahoney's The Copyright Website and U.S. Copyright Office FAQ. Also see this paperback: Ellen M. Kozak, Every Writer's Guide to Copyright and Publishing Law (Owlet [Henry Holt], Second Edition, 1997), $9.95. ISBN 0-80504-804-9.
Writers frequently like to supplement their works with excerpts from published works or popular song lyrics. What first-time writers sometimes fail to recognize, however, is that they must seek permissions from copyright owners and often pay fees to reprint this material.
While a publisher sometimes will secure permissions for the writer, most publishing contracts place this burden on the writer. The good news is that you are not obliged to seek permissions until after you have placed your work.
How, then, should you proceed to obtain permissions? Suppose you want to quote a few lines from a poem or an entire poem. First, you must find out the name of the poet's publisher. Next, you must contact the publisher's Permissions Department. Send a letter citing the lines of poetry you wish to reprint, the context in which the quoted lines will appear, and a brief description of your own work in which the excerpt will appear. Sometimes, you will have to stipulate whether you are seeking US/Canadian rights or world rights. The Permissions Department will then inform you of the required fee.
Locating copyright owners of song lyrics is a more daunting task. Fortunately, there are two excellent sources to help you: (1) ASCAP [American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers] Indexing Department, (212) 621-6000; (2) BMI [Broadcast Music, Inc.] Indexing Department, (212) 586-2000. These sources can tell you only who owns the lyrics (usually a music publisher). Next, you must contact the copyright owner and supply such particulars as the lyrics you wish to reprint, the context in which they appear, etc.
You may also wish to explore searchable data bases at ASCAP and BMI.