Proper Manuscript Format - Classic

 

1. Courier or Times New Roman font.
2. 12 point font.
   
3. Black text.
   
4. No colours.
5. No decorations.
6. 1 inch margins on all sides.
7. Contact Info goes in top left corner of first page.
8. Contact Info should include legal name, address, phone number, and email.
9. Word count goes on top right corner of first page. If it is a longer piece round to the nearest 100.
10. Title should be one third or one half down the first page and centered.
11. Byline: Your name or Pseudonym below the title, also centered.
12. Double spaced between Title and Byline
13. Another double spacing after the Byline, then the story.
14. Set the line spacing for the story to Double-Spaced
15. Each paragraph should be indented one half of an inch.
16. Text should be left-aligned.
17. Do NOT use full justification.
18. Header at the top-right of each page should include: Surname of the author from the Byline, the title, page number.
19. Header should begin on the 2nd page, not the 1st page.
20. Scene breaks should be marked with a # instead of * * *.
21. If you are submitting to a magazine or publisher that has specific guidelines you should follow then you SHOULD follow them.