Manuscript Preparation
The first thing to do is to type or print out your story in the form of a professional-looking manuscript.
Manuscript Format
- Print double-spaced, on one side of the page. White paper only.
- Do not justify your text, and do not use a proportional font. (Courier is commonly used.)
- Allow 1 – 1½ inches of margin on all sides.
- Put your name, mailing address, phone, and E-mail address at the top of the first page. Also put the story title, your name (as you would want it to appear in print), and an approximate word count (for example, 7300 words, not 7267 words).
- Put your name, the title (or abbreviation of it), and page number in the header of all subsequent pages. Click here for some tips on manuscript printouts.
- For submission purposes, you can omit the revision date.
- Do not staple pages. Use a paper clip instead.
Sample manuscript first page
