Manuscript Submission Format
A Common Mistake To Avoid When Submitting A Manuscript Is To Beware The Rogue Agent
Author: Mark Walton
Many aspiring authors rush into the process of finding an agent and overlook a common pitfall – the rogue agent. Agents work hard for their money – or at least good ones do. Bad ones find easier ways to make ends meet.
The industry tends to dictate what rates an agent can charge, so for a good agent, the fees are transparent. Usually it’s a percentage of any money the writer earns plus many deduct some minor administration fees (copying, long-distance calls etc.) – but again, the good ones agree these up front and itemize them when they deduct.
Agents, on the whole, work on commission. They don’t earn a penny until the writer does – although they tend to earn it slightly quicker as they get the royalty cheque and deduct their fee before turning the lion’s share over to the author.
This means that if they can’t sell your story, they don’t get paid. This is arguably the main reason agents are so selective. They won’t just post out any old manuscript in the hope of gaining a sale.
Instead they will work with the author, maximizing the manuscript by giving honest advice on any improvements. They’ll not only send out your manuscript, but they’ll pitch it to the editors and follow up to see if there’s interest.
They’ll ensure the writer gets the best deal possible (which in turn maximizes their percentage of course) but which writer will argue at that?
And finally, they’ll act as mentor and supporter, advising the writer on trends in the industry etc.
The bad agents are typically the ones that can’t sell the manuscript. So they have to find other ways of making money.
Before I list some of the poor practices that exist, the best bit of advice I’ve ever heard about agents is this:
Money flows in the direction of the author
Money should never, ever travel the other way. If it does, there is no incentive for the agent to make the effort to actually sell the book. There are always willing authors who are so delighted that an agent is interested in them, that they’ll happily part with a little bit of hard-earned cash to realise their ultimate dream.
So how do you spot a bad one? Although many genuine agents use some of the practices below, any multiple would make me more than suspicious.
1. They ask for reading fees.
2. They ask for cash up front with a weak reason for doing so, perhaps a processing fee.
3. They can’t/won’t let you know who else they represent. Reputable agents are proud of their clientele and can’t wait to tell you whom they represent. Bad agents don’t sell and so have no names to give you.
4. They don’t come from a literary background. The majority of agents used to work in publishing, or at least somewhere in the book world. They know the industry and they have good contacts.
5. New agencies aren’t necessarily bad ones, but they should be treated with caution – especially if they ask for money.
6. They ask for administration costs up front. A good agent will believe in you and deduct any fees from your first royalty cheque.
7. They ask for a fee to recommend changes to make your manuscript more saleable. A good agent will realise that making your story better is in their interest and offer the advice for free – as long as you sign with them.
8. They refer you to a manuscript doctoring company (and typically receive a percentage of the fee for doing so).
Having said all of this, good agents are in the majority – it’s just the bad ones are easier to convince to represent you. Most writers are so excited that an agent is interested, they forget the part about it being a partnership and being selective in whom they associate with.
A good agent becomes your best friend and is worth convincing to begin that relationship. Stick to the reputable names and it’ll work out all right in the end.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/writing-articles/a-common-mistake-to-avoid-when-submitting-a-manuscript-is-to-beware-the-rogue-agent-425592.html
About the Author
Mark Walton is the author of 42 Ways to Improve Your Manuscript Submission, a self-help guide for writers. If you want to improve your chances of getting a story published then visit http://www.betternovelwriting.com/Submission.htm and see how quickly and easily your writing can advance.
Tagged with: novel • short story • story • submitting a manuscript • writing
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Angelo, I’m seeing red flags waving. Legitimate agencies don’t want the manuscript right away–that’s the hallmark of scams (so they can tell you it’s amazing and ask you for money). Legitimate agencies want the first contact to consist of a query letter, and sometimes an author bio, short synopsis, or sample pages. When they want to see sample pages, they specify the format and how they want to see them—in the body of the email (where tabs and special characters may not be supported) or as an attachment (and what kind).
Seek Submission Guidelines, Writers’ Guidelines, or Author Guidelines at the literary agency’s website–and make sure you have checked the legitimacy of this agency before you contact them.
8-1/2 x 11 plain white paper printed on one side
12 point Courier or Times Roman font
1 inch margin on all sides
your name and address on the first page
title and your last name on all other pages
double spaced between lines
approximate word count on the first page – to within the nearest thousand words
start chapters on the next page
If the agent or publisher you are sending your manuscript to has any specific manuscript requirement, go with what they want.
Visit a place like http://www.writersdigest.com to make sure about manuscript requirements, but this will get you most of the way there.
Standard manuscript format is:
12 pt Times New Roman or Courier
1″ margins all around
Indent each paragraph
8.5 x 11 inch paper
double spaced
Regarding your question specifically:
If your MS is double spaced, you DO NOT put another space between the paragraphs. And you absolutely MUST indent because that’s all that distinguishes a new paragraph.
You’ve been given some questionable information. You most certainly do need to worry about punctuation, paragraph breaks, and other writing mechanics of every kind if you want to publish your work. Even if your entire story is in a casual, conversational tone filled with official mistakes people all make, there’s still a correct way to punctuate it, and a proper place to break paragraphs, for example.
Speaking frankly, I suspect your unwillingness to learn the tools of your trade dooms your efforts. Or at the least, dooms you to spending close to a thousand bucks per book to pay an editor who knows what s/he is doing and can make your manuscript close to perfect before you submit it anywhere.
A few tips which might help:
Character A says something. In the same paragraph, you can have thoughts, actions, memories, hopes, dreams, backgound, etc. on Character A. But you can’t have Character B’s reaction, reply, thoughts, actions, memories, etc. in the same paragraph as the words Character A says.
Readers start skimming at about the sixth line in the paragraph of a printed book, and nearly all are skimming by the tenth. For that reason, around the sixth line of each paragraph, you should be seeking a place to break.
Dialogue punctuation is not that hard. Kids master it at age eight or nine all the time. You don’t have to know the parts of speech (although I firmly believe every serious writer should) to do this correctly. Every book, magazine, and newspaper in your house is full of examples. Master this yourself.
If you decide to hire an editor, you need to determine his or her skill level. A college student’s skill set is very different, and a lot smaller, than a professional editor’s. The student can probably correct your punctuation just fine, and charge less.
Send the revised version just as you sent it to the editor. Just make it look clean. Make it look “final copy.”
What format do publishers prefer for manuscript submissions (more in details)?
“Block style” paragraphs or indented paragraphs? I have been writing for a newspaper, so I’ve developed an eye for block style, but this publisher specifically requested double spaced. Since a space generally distinguishes between paragraphs in blocks, I don’t know what to do! Should I use indentions??
How do I format a manuscript to make it acceptable for submission?
This may be asked a lot; I’m always on R&S.
As far as words per line, lines per page, margins, whatever you can tell me.
Double-spaced or triple-spaced? I had a novel writing class *years ago* in which the prof said to triple-space manuscripts (novels).
Manuscript format for a novel?
I have read through about half a dozen “idiot’s guide to…” books, and countless web articles on formatting a manuscript for submission. And, although informative, they do not answer my questions very well.
My problem stems from my being a good story teller and not a writer. I can sit at a table, gathering, or campfire and spin a yarn with ease. Mostly because you don’t use punctuation in speaking. You use tone of voice, inflictions, and hand gestures to help the story. Next, my grammar stinks! I talk well, I don’t write well.
Several friends have talked me into writing down a few of my stories and submitting them for publication (fat chance). I understand; TNR 12pt, I got it; double space lines, I got it. And, I have been told not to worry too much about punctuation as the “editor” will take care of that. I’ve also been told that once purchased or accepted by a publisher, they may even change, omit, or add words.
So my question is: How much do I have to worry about punctuation and paragraph structure? I understand the closer to proper punctuation the better. But I am also told that in a fiction novel, the rules of punctuation are often broken.
When I say format, what I mean is should I type it up with what each person, in a conversation, says starting a new paragraph, or just pile it all into one paragraph?
I don’t know adverb from tuna salad sandwich. And I am not going to take a class to learn. It was a disaster the first time through, I doubt it will be any better now. But I do understand the words I use, and I know how to put them together to put the listener in the middle of the world, or story, that I am telling about. I have been told that I tell stories the exact same way as people talk. And that is what makes them easy to follow. I don’t use proper sentence structure, I use common speak. And that is what I want to retain in my written stories.
With that, any suggestions on where to start? Should I just mimic the way a paper back novel is written? Are there people who can take my raw manuscript and straighten it out so it is presentable?
Help?
Question about manuscript submission to an agent?
I’m ready to start querying literary agents about my novel manuscript, but I have a few questions about formatting. I know the rules as far as double-spacing etc for EDITORS, but do agents want the exact same thing? Can I leave my italics as italics for an agent, or do I underline them instead like for an editor? Should I use Courier font, or is Times New Roman acceptable for an agent?
BTW, how about email submissions- any different rules from paper?
Thanks.
What is the Manuscript format for email submission?
The literary agency I’m sending my manuscript to requires email submission, so how do I format my manuscript?