Writing a book - tips from an author #5

Secrets of the Manuscript Format. You'd be surprised how many wannabe novel writers fall at the second-to-last hurdle - presenting their work to prospective agents and publishers. Believe it or not, there IS a preferred manuscript format that will help make sure your work (that you sweated blood over!) doesn't just get filed in the 'round cabinet' due to typos, font choice, or other formatting issues. This preferred manuscript submission format is discussed in detail at www.GetPlotted.com, and there's even an example for you, but here's a quick overview that should prove useful. First thing to remember - if it's hard to read, you'll find it hard to get them to read it! Think clean and professional. Reprint each time - don't send out dog-eared versions. It also needs to have space for corrections and notes in case they DO start reading it and enjoy it enough to comment. Laser printing is best, or a good inkjet. Make sure your cartridges are not running out. Courier is the font of choice, as sans serif fonts tend to get tiring on the eye after a while. Font size is also important. 12 point MINIMUM - 14 is better. And for God's sake, double space it! When writing a novel, readability is important - editors bin things that make their eyes hurt! Use the best quality paper you can afford - at www.GetPlotted.com they recommend a standard 90 gms (20 lb.) white bond, at 8.5x11 inches, or A4. Margins of at least an inch are necessary, and an inch and a half at the sides is better. Indent paragraphs, ALWAYS. Leave a space after every period/fullstop, comma, semicolon etc. Don't be tempted to right justify - the agent or printer has no interest in your design or typesetting skills - its your writing that is the thing of interest. Not generally known, but a good tip when you write a book, is to avoid starting a paragraph on the last line of a page (or ending one on the first line of a page). These 'widows and orphans' just look weird. Number each page - top right is best. A header is also useful, as you need to send it in unbound. Manuscripts DO get dropped, and without headers, it's a pain to figure out what story a loose page came from. By the way, don't EVER send your only copy - always ensure you have backups on at least 2 disks, or 2 spare copies printed out. As they say over at www.GetPlotted.com, the time your backup will fail you is the time you only have the one. And by the way, don't forget to spel chick it!