The Write Stuff: Proper Manuscript Formatting

Most publications, editors, and teachers require you to submit your material in a specific format. Below I outline the requirements I ask of clients and workshop participants.  

My guidelines are fairly standard. However, submission guidelines can differ from publication to publication, so it is paramount that you check before you send your work anywhere. Submit to each publication in the format it requests. If you are submitting the same material to multiple publications, make sure to check the guidelines of each; they may vary in either small or more significant ways.  

If something I cover is not mentioned in submission guidelines, it is a safe bet to format your work the way I have explained. Likewise, if the publication to which you are submitting has different guidelines than I wrote, use their requirements.



Spacing: Double space your document.  

Font: Use either Times New Roman or Arial. I have a preference for seeing work in Times New Roman, and it used to be the across-the-board standard, but more recently Arial is also accepted. Some publications still require only Times New Roman. Some do not specify or prefer one I didn’t mention.  

Font size: 12 point.  

Page numbers: Do not put a number on your first page. On the second page of your story or article, put 2 in either the header or footer. Continue the count from page two.  

Note: "Header" and "footer," here and throughout this article, refer only to the actual header or footer and not to the top or bottom of the document.

Margins: At least one inch all the way around (left, right, top, bottom). You can go as large as 1.25 inches, especially top and bottom, and I will be even more pleased.  

New paragraphs: Do not skip an extra line between paragraphs. Indent them. I am not picky about indent size; you can use either the tab key at its default setting or choose five to eight or ten spaces. Whatever you choose, keep it uniform throughout your piece.  

Your name: Starting on page two, put your last name in the header of every page. My personal preference is “LastName – PageNumber” (without the quotes) in the header, hyphenated, and right justified. If your page number is in your footer, still put your name in your header.  

Left justify: Left justify your document. There is no need to right justify as well.  

Orphan Control: Turn on orphan control.  

Fasteners: Use a paper clip or a binder clip to fasten your pages. Do not use staples.

If you are also enclosing a cover letter, do not fasten it to the article.

Your first page: This section applies to shorter works such as short stories, articles, and essays. If you have a longer manuscript such as a novel, a memoir, a play, or a screenplay, skip this section and see “title page” below. If you are a college student, skip to "your first page (for college students)" below.

Your first page contains information that identifies both your work and you.  

In the upper left, left justified, put your name, address, telephone number, and email address. Use your real name, not your pen name, here. In the upper right put your word count (the number of words in your document). It will read this way, for example: “2500 words” (without the quotes).  

About 1/4 to 1/3 of the way down the page, center the title of your piece. You may put it in bold if you want to. Two spaces below the title, center the word “by” (without the quotes) in lowercase. Two space below that, type your name as you would want it to appear in a publication. This is where you would put your pen name, if you use one, or any name you use when you publish. For example, I would write “Jennifer Senft” in the upper left and “Jen Senft” under the title of my work.  

A few spaces below your name begin your article or story.  

Your first page (for college students): This section applies to shorter works such as short stories, articles, and essays.

Your first page contains information that identifies you, your work, and the class for which you wrote it.

In the upper left—left justified and each on its own line—type:  your name, your contact information (e.g., an email address), your professor’s name, and the course name and number.

In the upper right put your word count (the number of words in your document). It will read this way, for example: “1500 words” (without the quotes).

Skip two lines, then center the title of your piece. Skip two more lines, then begin your essay or story.