Ultimately, a manuscript is your draft of the book or story you’re writing. The term manuscript in current times is used to describe an early draft of a book, novel, or short story, though the origin of the term comes from “manu scriptus” which means “written by hand” in Latin. At Self-Publishing School, we now offer this with our core offer programs. Related: If you’re not looking for manuscript formatting, but rather looking for book formatting, check out this article. #5 – Submitting your manuscript to editors, agents, and publishers

Here are the basic manuscript formatting standards: Give your story the proper chance it deserves. Just like a hiring manager often throws out resumes that boast “attention to detail” while they are riddled with typos, an agent or editor can be just as quick to toss a manuscript because the writer failed to comply with basic formatting and submission requests.Īnd then your chances are shot…all because of formatting mistakes I’ll help you fix in this blog post.

Speaking from experience as a professional development coach and former literary magazine editor: neatness and precision count. Not taking note of these rules can set you back immeasurably when it comes to becoming a successful author. Did you know there are specific industry standards to adhere to in formatting your manuscript?