Book Manuscript Format Example
Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011 at
6:45 am
Tips for Writing a Quality E-book
Make your dreams of becoming a great writer come true! Learn how to write a great E-book!
Do you have writing aspirations? Have you already written a manuscript but need help taking it to a high level? You will learn how to write a good E-book and hopefully earn an extra income as a writer.
Tagged with: book manuscript format example
Filed under: Uncategorized
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
I cannot help with this question, but you can visit many web sites about writing children’s books. Purple Crayon web site, for example, has suggested books on the subject in its online bookstore.
Try this:
1. Click the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon.
2. Click the arrow in the lower-right corner of the Page Setup group.
3. On the Margins tab, set the gutter spacing.
4. Click the Layout tab.
5. Check the Different odd and even checkbox. Yeah, I know it’s under Headers and Footers, but watch the Preview diagrams as you do.
6. Click OK.
Hope that helps.
Before sending a manuscript? What more I need to know?
I’ve edited my manuscript, added headers, etc. But before I go looking for a place to send it, I wanted to know a few things.
My manuscript is the first book of a fantasy series. Even though I won’t announce to the editor that it’s a series, and though I finished writing the first book, is it important that I work out the entire history of my fantasy world and characters before I turn in the first book manuscript? I’ve done research on and off and I got enough information created so I know what is happening and so I could write the first book. Though I don’t feel it’s that detailed of a history. Didn’t know if they’d interrogate me on the details and history of the fantasy. I wasn’t sure if I should know every little thing before I send it off, or if I would have time to look/research that after I sent off the manuscript for reading? (example: the author knowing all the details of Harry Potter). How should I spend my time after sending off the first manuscript? I’m actually more of an artist than I am a writer. So will an editor still be interested if I’m not truly planning to spend my life writing hundreds of books? If this series turns out to be the only one I write? I came up with a story and I felt it should be out there, in book format.
Also, after I sent off the first book, does that mean I need to start working on the other books? How much time does an author have to work on other books of a series? I wasn’t sure if it was the author’s choosing or if there was like a time set for when another book of a series must be complete.
I’d appreciate if anyone knew any sure way to get recognition for a work. I’ve looked up many sites to help me format the manuscript correctly, which is a key point. But is there anything else? Is there a good way to find a publisher? Fantasy seems to be a hot topic right now, and I can’t help feeling my tale is unique with a mix of fantasy and science fiction.
Appreciate the help.
How do I get microsoft office 2007 word to save a document in book format, w/spacing on odd pages compensated4?
For example, the manuscript looks great in the printpreview page layout but i need the odd pages to have a margin that is different than the even pages to create an even “gutter” in the book. I need the odd pages margin to compensate for the book binding, if they have the same margins on odd an even pages, the book will eat the words on the left margin on the right side of the book. I need the margin to be greater for the pages on the right side of the book, so the words don’t fall into the crack in the middle of the book. Please help, this has to go to a publisher soon and I don’t know what to do to fix it, I can’t do it all by hand, the manuscript is way too long for that. Please help me!
Proper Manuscript Format for a Children’s Picture Book?
Hello to all children’s book writers and writers in general,
I’m a newbie who has a question about the proper manuscript format for a children’s picture book. The format seems a lot different from one for a novel. I know that the name and address goes on top left side of page, approximately word count on right, and the whole thing is double-spaced.
However, since a children’s book is a lot shorter, and it’s illustrated, would I, on the actual manuscript, write page 1, page 2, page 3, etc. and separate it out or should the whole manuscript just essentially be one big, double-spaced paragraph?
1.) How do I format my manuscript so as to make it clear that, for example, sentences A and B would be on the first page in an actual children’s book, sentences C and D would be on the second page, etc.
2.) Or should I just not do that?
3.) Should I indent and start a new, double-spaced paragraph for my manuscript
Answers are greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone!
What’s the proper format in which to submit a manuscript?
Say I wanted to write a book and have an agent or publisher read it – what are the basics I would have to follow to not have them throw it in the trash on first glance?
For example – font size, font type, spacing, etc…I would hate to print off a few hundred pages of birdcage liner. Thanks.
Here are the basics:
Double space
One-inch margins all around
Indent each paragraph one inch
Use Times-New Roman font, size 12
First page, start about one third of the way down the page
Center the title, but do not use bold, underline, or all caps. Just first letter caps. Do this for the first page of each chapter.
No paper clips or staples. One of those paper clamp thingies is okay if it’s more than thirty pages or so.
Check the submission guidelines of the agent or publisher (usually found on their website) for more specific guidelines in terms of how many pages they will agree to read and whether they want a synopsis or an outline. If they want thirty pages, that means the first thirty pages, not somewhere in the middle.
Good luck!
Does anyone know the correct format of a novel manuscript?
I’m a little confused on how to start writing a book. I have a great (what I and some of my friends and teachers deem great) idea for a fiction novel targeted towards teenagers. I’m sixteen myself and was curious as to how I start my novel. I know a manuscript is involved and I’ve researched it but found a bunch of differnet information and examples that were very differnet. Can anyone give me a good example of a fiction-based novel manuscript? And I would appreciate it if anyone had any other information that could help me out here.
Okay, I’m a book editor and here’s what I hope to see when I receive a manuscript.
1. Neatly typed in Arial or Times Roman, preferably 12 point font.
2. Your name, address, email address and word count in the upper left hand corner of the manuscript.
3. Around the center of the first page, the title of your novel.
4. Start page 1 a couple spaces under that.
5. You don’t need to double space if you’re building an e-manuscript.
6. Number your pages — center bottom is a good place.
7. On each succeeding page, put your name and the book title in the upper left hand corner.
That ought to do it as far as manuscript preparation is concerned. Of course you are going to make _very_ sure you don’t have any typos, or spelling/grammatic errors in your manuscript, aren’t you?
Good luck!
Whoa! That’s a lot of questions 🙂
First, have you written a query letter yet? Before you start mailing out dozens and dozens of pages of your book, you usually have to send a query letter first. Sometimes you can get away with also attaching your first chapter, but publishing companies and agents are not interested in entire manuscripts right off the bat. Here are several resources to help you out with your query letter: http://agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx – http://queryshark.blogspot.com/ – http://www.writersconferenceguidelines.com/query-letters.html
“Even though I won’t announce to the editor that it’s a series”
Bad idea. Red flags. You should probably say that it’s the first in a series, if it cannot stand alone. Harry Potter as a single book is good, but the overarching story that’s set up is nowhere near completed, and the publishing company sees 7 successful books, not just 1 successful book. If it’s part of a series, you tell them it’s part of a series.
“Is it important that I work out the entire history of my fantasy world and characters before I turn in the first book manuscript?”
You are very likely not going to be quizzed about your own world. Unless something makes absolutely no sense. J.K. Rowling’s agent didn’t get her first book and then say, “Now, explain to me how the magic works, exactly, and how it differs from The Force from Star Wars.” If you don’t know something, and the editor asks you about it, you tell them, “I haven’t thought about that, I’ll have to think about it before giving you an answer.” But chances are, you’re not going to go through a “how much do you know about your own story” quiz.
“Will an editor still be interested if I’m not truly planning to spend my life writing hundreds of books? If this series turns out to be the only one I write?”
An editor will definitely need to know if you’re planning to finish the series. They are not interested in starting something with big dollar signs without following through to the end. If you are only going to write this series, then that’s fine. They’re not buying you for life, they’re just buying this series of books.
“How much time does an author have to work on other books of a series? I wasn’t sure if it was the author’s choosing or if there was like a time set for when another book of a series must be complete.”
It’s not the author’s choosing. Publishing is a business and you are given deadlines for your writing. You have to meet those deadlines, or your book may not get published as planned. It’s a business, not like homework or chores… big money is on the line. Your agent or editor will work with you to help you meet those deadlines, and to make deadlines that are achievable for you in the first place.
“But is there anything else? Is there a good way to find a publisher?”
Get the book Writer’s Market 2010. Find publishers who publish the kind of book you wrote. Not all publishers should be created equal. You can’t just send your stuff out there blindly, hoping someone will bite. You can also check into getting an agent to represent your book (sort of like a sports agent represents an athlete). http://www.agentquery.com is filled with agents looking for great books. Many publishing companies give priority to books with agents.
Hope that helps!