Industry Standard Formatting Guidelines for Manuscript Submissions

The preferred formatting method of most publishers for manuscript submissions is as follows, but, again, read the guidelines as outlined by each publishers on their website before sending a single word. One mistake could cost you the deal of a lifetime!

Do not treat the choice of a publisher to not define a particular font as an open invitation to be creative. If not specified, it's because the publisher expects the writer to know the industry standards regarding formatting. Show them you do. Show them you are professional and intelligent. Show them respect and they will return it. It doesn't mean they will publish you, but it does mean you leave a favorable impression on them for the next submission. Make that a primary goal.


Standard MS Submission Guidelines 

• 1” Margins (top, bottom, right, left)
• Double Spaced
• 12pt Courier or Times New Roman *
• Black Ink on White Paper, Always
• Left Align (Do NOT justify align)

First Page

• Header
• Upper Left Corner:
• Legal Name
• Address
• Phone
• Writing Society Memberships (if applicable)

Upper Right Corner

Word Count (rounded to nearest 100th; example: 54,635 should be written as 54,600)


Midway Down Page:

Title (centered)

Two Spaces Below Title:

Byline (pen name if used)

Two Double Spaces Below Byline:

Start Story

All Following Pages

• Header
• Upper Right Corner:
• Last Name
• Title
• Page Number
• Begin first paragraph of each chapter or section at the margin
• Indent all succeeding paragraphs

Bottom of Story Ending Page

“THE END”  (some of you don't want to do this, some outright refuse, but remember, one single page removed or out of order, something easily done in the hands of another, and you get to stand at the finish line but never cross. Publisher suggestion. Not mine.



So now you know the correct way to submit your work to a publisher. Write like it's criminal!