(Your Editor Will Thank You!)
While I am happy to help you with any formatting issues, following the guidelines below will reduce the turnaround time of your manuscript, make it appear more professional and polished, and get you one step closer to being ready to publish. The instructions below are created for Word docs, but can be applied in other programs as well.
Title Page Layout
This page should include your title, subtitle, and byline. Some authors like to also include word count and contact information (email and phone number).
U.S. Standard Page Size
When opening a new Word document, this should automatically be set to 8.5”x11”, left-justified alignment, 1” margins all around.
Font Size & Style
Use black, 12-point, Times New Roman or other standard font. Leave the fancy font for the design phase. The focus right now is on readability.
Line Spacing
Use the double-space setting on your entire document for ease of reading and editing.
Home > Line Spacing > 2.0
Page Numbers
Number your pages on the top left, excluding the title page.
Insert > Page Number > uncheck “Show number on first page” > Format… > “Start at: 0”
Paragraphs
Format your paragraphs according to genre standards.
FICTION: indented paragraphs (indent by 0.5 inches—one tab space should automatically be set to this size)
NONFICTION: you can opt for the above, or no indentation with full paragraph breaks between (hard return)
Space Between Chapters
Simply using several returns between chapters isn’t going to cut it in the long run. If there are ANY changes (such as font type or size, line spacing, etc.) it will affect all of it, and suddenly, your chapters are beginning halfway down the page or somewhere random. Instead, use page breaks between chapters.
Place your cursor at the end of your chapter > Insert > Page Break
Consistency
Use the Style Function tool for your chapter titles to maintain consistency and be able to use Word’s table of contents tool.
Home > Heading 1 (or other heading style)
You can also create a heading style by writing it out in the font type and size of your choosing, then Control-click on the heading type, and select Update Heading 1 to Match Selection.
Space Between Sentences
A single space after periods is the new standard. Even if you were taught to do two (like I was), no one does that anymore. Seriously, look at your favorite book. I can practically guarantee they only used one space between their sentences.
Document Format
Send your manuscript in a single Word document (.doc/.docx) to your editor. If you do not own Word and you typed your manuscript in another program, please Contact Me so we can decide how to best proceed.
Red Quill Co LLC
Think you might be ready for an editor? If you’re unsure what type of editing you need, want to know how much it might cost, or simply have a question for me, Contact Me today. I am happy to discuss your manuscript with you!
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