How to Format Your Manuscript (to work with editors or submit to publishers)

Have you ever wondered which font is the best to use for your story or how to indicate scene breaks? Are there rules about this sort of thing? Yes! The publishing industry has developed a long-standing group of requirements called Standard Manuscript Format. Whether you plan to self-publish or seek traditional publication, formatting your manuscript according to these guidelines is a vital step in your story's creation.
In this week's writer coaching session, we'll discuss why using standard manuscript format is so important and what its requirements include. Plus, I'll show you how to set all this up in Microsoft Word, the publishing industry's preferred word processing application, and demonstrate how to avoid or correct common formatting mistakes.
🎁 DOWNLOAD YOUR GIFT! Click this link to watch my free workshop, The 6 Essential Elements of a Powerful Story. www.b2writerco...
📖 CHAPTERS:
0:01 Introduction
1:24 A Gift for You
2:11 Why Standard Manuscript Format Matters for Your Story
3:56 What Does Standard Manuscript Format Include?
4:57 Formatting for Submission to Publishers
5:46 Formatting Mistakes to Avoid
7:49 How to Format Your Manuscript in Microsoft Word
28:02 This Week’s Power-Up
28:25 Bonus Tip
▶️ PLAYLIST: Check out the Writer’s Life playlist for encouragement, ideas, and inspiration to fuel your storytelling journey! • The Writer's Life
 
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✍️ LET'S WORK TOGETHER!
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Scrivener: www.b2writerco... (writing, plotting, organizing book research, character & setting info, etc.
Vellum: www.b2writerco... (interior book formatting)
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#fictionwriting #novelwriting #manuscriptformat

[@thebookblah]

I wish I can put into words how thankful I am for this video. You've explained it in a very considerately paced, non-intimidating way. Thank you so much.

[@YourStoryCoach]

Wow, thank you!

[@JClark-ux1hz]

Just found you. Good video, lots of great info, no yadi-yada! ❤🤗👍

[@YourStoryCoach]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@wyvonnepage516]

Very helpful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@YourStoryCoach]

My pleasure!

[@bernicevenable8885]

Very straight forward! You get to points that are often missed. And it is great when a presenter uses a MAC. Thank you!

[@YourStoryCoach]

Thank you! I’m glad you found it helpful. And yes, I do enjoy my Mac. 😄

[@soundretailsolutions2203]

This video is excellent and a must watch when formatting a book for the first time. I'm now a fan and look forward to watching the rest of your videos to learn on how to improve my skills . Thankyou

[@YourStoryCoach]

Thank you! I’m so happy you found it helpful. Let me know if you have any specific writing questions or topics you’d like me to cover in a future video. Happy writing!

[@phanapoonsuradetcurry]

Excellent video ❤❤❤🥰🥰

[@YourStoryCoach]

Thank you!

[@suzannerobinson7820]

This was very helpful! Thank you! I have been working on my first literary novel for the past year and I’m at a point where it’s time to find an editor. Any suggestions? There are too many to choose from, it’s very overwhelming! Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[@YourStoryCoach]

Suzanne, I'm so happy you found it helpful! Yes, the plethora of wonderful and skilled editors out there can leave one feeling overwhelmed and unsure how to choose. I'll try to narrow the field a bit. I suppose I should start by mentioning that I do offer editorial services. If your are interested in finding out more about how my process works or requesting a free sample edit, visit www.b2writercoaching.com/editing Here are a couple of sites that provide vetted lists of professional editors: Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and Reedsy. If you are a Christian or would like to work with an editor who is one, check out the Christian Editor Connection. Their editors are also vetted and must pass an editorial assessment. I hope this helps. 😊

[@janicemacintosh5804]

Thank you for this wonderful information.

[@YourStoryCoach]

You are welcome! I glad you found it helpful.

[@wyvonnepage516]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Will you be offering a workshop for Formatting Interior for publication?

[@YourStoryCoach]

Possibly! Thanks for the suggestion. I will comment here with a link if I do make that video.

[@artyourself1065]

nice video! how to make perfect word spacing in justify? how to divide the words so to not have space between words in the paragraphs?

[@AnnetteKalfon]

Thank you

[@YourStoryCoach]

You are welcome!

[@NickEnlowe]

Great video! A few questions: If you want italics, you have to underline the word in Standard Manuscript Format, correct? And how would you differentiate between hard breaks (large amount of time passes) and soft breaks (small amount of time passes)?

[@YourStoryCoach]

You can use italics in standard manuscript format. No need to switch to underlining. For hard breaks, you can use one of the symbols I discussed in the video, centered on a line between the scenes. For soft breaks, the standard method is to leave a blank line between the scenes. The issue with this is, those can get lost if they occur at the top or bottom of the page, especially in an ebook.

[@NickEnlowe]

@@YourStoryCoach Thank you! ^^

[@peterfalk7999]

Thanks, if you have a chapter/scene that starts with a location and date, would you use double space this as well? I am submitting a short story to a writing group.

[@YourStoryCoach]

Hi, Peter. Great question. Yes, I would keep the double line spacing consistent, including the line with the date and location. To set that piece apart, I suggest italicizing it and setting the alignment to flush left. (Not indented like the paragraphs in the body of the story.) I hope this helps. 😊

[@peterfalk7999]

Thank you for your reply. Great advice.

[@annpippin6388]

Captioningneeded