Introduction
When writers learn how to format manuscripts, they typically learn the standards for traditional print publishing and those are not always the accepted or preferred standards for e-publishing. This is due, in part, to the fact that the actual production processes are different for traditional print publishing and e-publishing.
Traditional print publishing often involved editors writing on the paper manuscript page, a typesetting stage where the manuscript was typeset into book format, etc. Some of this is now more computerized but e-publishing is a very streamlined and automated process. Anything that throws off that process can tend to be problematic so it’s best to start out with as consistent a manuscript as possible and know some of the pitfalls, as well as how to avoid them.
The formatting guidelines I’m giving you are generic and relatively standard but, before you submit to any particular publisher, be sure to read that publisher’s own submissions guidelines. Any specific instructions they give should trump these generic rules and should be followed instead.
Remember that these are only formatting instructions, NOT writing or grammar instructions.
Overall Formatting
Margins
Use a one inch margin all around the page as your standard margin width.
Paragraph Indents
Indent each paragraph by ½ inch (.5). Be sure to do this with your word processor’s automatically indent paragraph functionality. Unlike in hard copy, using a tab to indent in an electronic document puts in a hidden character. This can throw off later formatting.
Line Spacing
I recommend 1.5 line spacing. This leaves a half line free between rows of text. In print publishing, this is often set to be double-spaced because handwritten changes or notes were being made on the page and space needed to be allotted for that to take place.
Lines Per Page
Many people writing for traditional print publishers set their manuscripts to be exactly 25 lines per page in order to both be able to use a formula to determine manuscript length and because some print publishers request it. Do NOT do this for e-publishing submissions. This will really create problems in the formatting process since your submission file will eventually become the finished product. Let the line spacing determine how many lines are on each page.
Fonts
I recommend Times New Roman in 12pt. This is a nice, standard font and it is easily read on the screen because it’s a serif font. Do not vary from this font within the work unless your publisher indicates you should. This is because your file is often used (after edits) to create a final formatted document. Changes in font size and style can be problematic and lead to real ugliness.
This is also a nearly universally available font. I’ve seen instructions for submitting to print publishers that recommend fonts that are not pre-installed with most systems but must be downloaded separately. Unlike in print publishing, where you send printed pages, the recipient of your electronic submission needs to be able to read your work. If you use a non-standard font that they do not happen to have, their computer system will try to translate it into a similar or default font. ‘Close’ often is not very close.
Italics
Unlike print publishing, you need to actually use italics when you want italics. This is another by-product of the e-publishing manuscript going directly from edited file to formatted final file. There’s no need for a typesetter to be able to differentiate italics from regular type on a printed page, so do not use underlining to indicate italics.
Hard Returns
No hard returns mid-sentence or mid-paragraph. These will throw off the automatic formatting for publication and weird breaks will appear in places they do not belong.
Chapter Breaks
Always use a hard page break at the end of one chapter and before beginning another, then start the next chapter on the first line of the new page with whatever format of chapter indicator you’re using. Do not skip a third of the way down the page to start a new chapter as is often advised in preparing print manuscripts.
Space Between Sentences
Use a single space between the ending punctuation of one sentence and the starting character of a new sentence within a paragraph. This has pretty much become the default standard in the e-publishing world.
Trailing Spaces
Don’t include a space before you use a hard return to go to a new paragraph. It’s superfluous and will sometimes throw off formatting.
Ellipses
Use an actual ellipsis, not three periods. While it’s not a big deal in print manuscripts, it makes a difference in e-publishing manuscripts. Formatting will treat an ellipsis as a single character but the three periods may get separated or mishandled because they are treated as if they are three separate characters.
Em Dashes
Use a real em-dash instead of a hyphen or two hyphens in a row. Again, two separate characters could be separated or mishandled but the single em-dash character will be treated correctly.
Headers
You should create a header at the top of your manuscript to make sure the person reading your manuscript has some important information about it right at hand. These may be stripped by an e-publisher during the final formatting but serve an important purpose in the meantime.
Title and Author Name
The title of this manuscript and your name should always appear in the header. My preference is to have them in the upper left. I also recommend using a format like:
Title of Book / Maura Anderson
This serves the purpose of the reader being able to instantly associate what they are reading with the manuscript and author it comes from. No having to scroll to a cover page or rely on the filename for that information. It also means that if it someone happens to print it out, that important information remains with every page of the printout.
Page Number
The page numbers should also appear in the header. My preference is the upper right. This is more useful for those recipients that want to print the manuscript but it doesn’t hurt.
Cover Page
I always recommend that the first page in your document be a cover page. This page will give anyone you submit the manuscript to an instant way to have your contact information, an idea of what the story is and how long and even a short blurb at their disposal at all times. Because it’s part of the document, it travels with it so there is no need to hunt through emails to find the submission mail if they want to contact you.
Contact Information
Put all your contact information in the upper left corner of the cover page. I include different phone numbers, email, snail mail and my real name as well as my pseudonym. I recommend something like this:
Maura RealName
w/a Maura Anderson
1234 Main Street
SmallTown, USA 98765
realmsoftheraven @ gmail.com
(123) 456-7890 – home
(123) 456-7890 – work
(123) 456-7890 - cell
Title
About 1/3 of the way down the cover page, center the title of your manuscript and state your pseudonym again. I recommend:
Tort & Retort By Maura Anderson
Blurb
I started including this on the advice of another author and I’ve actually found it to be quite useful. Because e-publishers often send submissions to remote editors to review, the cover email doesn’t always follow them. Plus, if your story is contracted, you have a small blurb ready for the editor to look at and it may be the one they use on the house’s website.
Try to keep the blurb about 250 words which is a fairly typical short blurb length in e-publishing. Align it flush left and place it about 2/3 of the way down the page. I recommend something similar to:
Blurb:
Ambitious and driven patent law attorney, Gayle Osborne, has a secret. Her power suits and take-no-prisoners attitude hide a passionate nature whose only outlet is reading and reviewing erotic romance. If anyone finds out that she is “Miss Retort,” the snarky and opinionated blogger from the Hits & Misses review blog, she’ll lose everything—her reputation, her clients, her job and, worst of all, her gorgeous mentor and boss, Tyler Monroe.
Genre
Almost at the bottom of the page and flush left, clearly state the genre of your manuscript. Do not use one of the comparisons that are so popular (aka “Harry Potter meets Sex and the City”). Instead state the genre you would expect it to appear under for sale. I recommend something like:
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Word Count
Right below the genre, list the actual word count for your story. This should be excluding the cover page and should be the real word count as shown by your word processing software. I recommend something like:
Words: 18,236 (actual)
The notation of “(actual)” tells the recipients that you are using that and not one of the formula derived counts of print publishing.
File
When you send your manuscript as an electronic file, it’s important that the recipients can tell what it is and what it pertains to at all times. In part, this is because of the number of viruses spread via attachments but it is also more professional.
File Name
Give your manuscript’s file a descriptive, meaningful name. Avoid spaces in the filename because some systems still do not handle that well. Include both the name of the manuscript and your pseudonym. I recommend something similar to:
TortAndRetort_MauraAnderson
If your manuscript is contracted, your e-publishing house may have a naming standard they will want to use. This is only so it can be found and identified through the submissions process.
File Format
Because of differences in software as well as the ability for viruses or malware to be spread (even unintentionally) through more sophisticated file types, I recommend all files be saved and submitted as Rich Text Files (.RTF). Be sure you double-check this on the e-publisher’s website, however, because incorrect filetypes being submitted will usually result in them simply being deleted with no warning and no notice.
Send Via
This is a place where you have to check the e-publisher’s website. Some e-publishers want you to send submissions as mail attachments. Some want you to send them via a web form.
What to Send
This varies widely by the e-publisher and you really have to check. Some want only partials of your manuscript. Some want a synopsis as well. Some want the full. Follow their instructions for the best chance of a favorable outcome.
You can download this information as a PDF from my ScribD account. Right click on the link text and select “Save As” to save a copy locally. Please be courteous when sharing and leave my source information intact.
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