So, my manuscript is getting there. Well it’s written at least, now for the editing and formatting to start.
When it comes to the correct way to format my document here is what I have so far, if anyone can add or take anything away from this list it would help a lot:
Double space. I always thought this meant double space each word, however I now know that it means to double space each line.
Margins. Be of a reasonable size, not showing a single column of text in the middle of the page.
Font. Cannot find any specific examples other than Times New Roman so I will be going with that.
Size. Again the only example I can find is size 12.
In addition: Print on one side of paper only. Do not bind the work. Number each page. Add a header/footer with title and author name.
While all that seems fairly simple and obvious the next part is kind of fuzzy;
Do I add a spare line beneath each of my own paragraphs or let the double spacing do the work?
Is it preferred to indent paragraphs of dialogue or leave them 'out on the edge'?
Thanks for any light someone can shed on this for me.
Michael
I suggest adding as a footer the copyright symbol followed by your first name and surname and then the year you started writing your manuscript.
For each and every person / organistation you prepare to send your work to make sure that you aquire and read their own statement of how they want things. Most of them are pretty much the same (so far as I have seen) but that means that you have to check every small detail in their requirements.
As a general rule - if I found any organisation being unusually picky I would need a very good reason to bother to send anything to them. The whole thing about format requirements should be that it works both ways - if we should make things easy for "them" they shouldn't make things unreasonably difficult for "us".
David