Manuscript Preparation Checklist
for a requested manuscript

Fiction

TYPING:
_____ 12 Pt, Times New Roman, etc, depending on length of ms
_____ Running Heads and pagination top of page
_____ 1” margins
_____ All double-spaced
_____ Number pages consecutively, throughout all chapters
_____ Each chapter starts 1/3-way down on page
_____ Title page as per sample below

PRINTING:
_____ 24-1b white paper, 92 brightness
_____ Laser Printer and good copier

PACKAGING:
_____ Ea. ms individually and tightly wrapped
_____ No Bands, clips or staples
_____ No Binding
_____ ms boxes snugly packed into shipping box

INSERT:
_____ Synopsis for each copy of ms: 3-5 pages
_____ Brief bio for each copy: 5 lines to ½ page
_____ Jacket blurb for each copy: ½ page
_____ B & W, 8x10 or 5x7 professional author photo for each copy
_____ Reviews, blurbs for previous published books

Nonfiction

Same as fiction with following differences:
_____Single space the proposal, but double space the sample chapter(s).
_____Include a Table of Contents following the title page.
_____ Each selection of the proposal, e.g. overview, competition, etc., starts on a new page
_____Number consecutively throughout the proposal starting with p. 2 on the TOC page all the way to the Appendix items. Staple individual articles.
_____Include a list of Appendix Items just before the Appendix so it is easy to see what is included.
_____Each proposal in a separate envelope in the box to avoid dog-earing in transit.

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR MS. OR PROPOSAL FOR SUBMISSIONM

TYPING:
* USE RUNNING HEADS ON EVERY PAGE. This is absolutely essential for fiction and nonfiction:

Book Title/Author
* DO NOT include an acknowledgements page with any submission.
Do NOT include a preface or introduction.

PRINTING:
* Use good quality, white paper (24 lb) that is heavy enough not to have any show-through from page to page. You may have to ask for a better grade at the copy shop. The standard 20lb. bond is usually too thin. Heavier paper makes a positive subliminal statement about the value of your ms. 24 lb white bond is fine. Check the color. Some copy shops use cheap yellowed paper.

* Print your ms. on a laser printer (or very high quality ink jet). Type should be clear, dark and legible. Do not use any artsy typefaces. Stick to a standard serif face for easy readability (Times Roman is a good one). Do not use type that is either too large or too small; 12-pt. is best. Be very careful about selecting a typeface. Err on the side of CLEAR and easily fitting in a ream box (500 pages).
* Use all around one-inch margins.

PACKAGING:
* ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BIND THE MANUSCRIPTS, PROPOSAL OR OTHER MATERIAL IN WAY SHAPE OR FORM!!! No staples, rubber bands, clips or any other mutilating device. Put each ms. in a separate box. Paper ream boxes are fine if your ms. fills the box. Otherwise use packing materials. Use packing materials so the envelopes cannot shift inside the box. GOAL: No dog-eared edges!
* If you smoke, do not leave your freshly printed ms. sitting around. They really do absorb the smoke and arrive here reeking. Sometimes we have to leave them outside several days to air out before packing them. Not good.

FICTION
*Number pages consecutively, (don't start over with "1" at each chapter)
*Double space everything
*Begin each chapter on a new page, a third of the way down the page

INSERT:
*Include a synopsis for each copy of the book – PLEASE read one of the books about how to write a synopsis if you have not done this before. Elizabeth Lyon has info about synopses in her book Publish Your Novel Toolkit. There is a 5 page chapter on synopses in The Story is A Promise. This is not a chapter by chapter summary or the action but more like a short story developed around the dramatic tension in your story.
*Include a brief bio for each copy
*Include a jacket blurb (half page book jacket copy – sales pitch)
*Include a black and white, 8x10 or 5x7 professional author photo. If you use a snapshot pick a photo you would not mind seeing on the book!

NONFICTION
*Single space the proposal, but double space the sample chapter(s).
*Include a Table of Contents of the proposal immediately following the title page. This details the components on your proposal and refers to page numbers in the proposal so editors can find quickly what they want to look at. This is NOT the same as the Table of Contents of the proposed book, which is actually an item on this Table.
*Include a list of Appendix Items just before the Appendix so it is easy to see what is included.
*Number consecutively throughout the proposal starting with p. 2 on the TOC page all the way to the Appendix items.
*Do include black and white professional author photos. If you use a snapshot pick a photo you would not mind seeing on the book!
*Each selection of the proposal, e.g. overview, competition, etc., starts on a new page
*Each proposal in a separate envelope in the box to avoid dog-earing in transit.

For long novels, over 100,000 words pick a tighter font like Garamond or Times New Roman to not have the book look like a weighty tome. For shorter proposals use a larger font to make it looks as readable and substantive as possible. Lucida is a large clear font without taking up more room. Bookman is very professional looking.

To Format the TITLE PAGE

Line 13 TITLE (centered all caps, bold 16 point)
Subtitle if there is one (also bold, centered, Cap first letter of each word)

by (three lines below title, 14 point)

Author (two lines below “by” name you want on the book, centered

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