An Idiot's Guide To Preparing A Manuscript

Welcome fellow writers, assuming you've read the title then you know this is going to be a simple, idiot's guide to preparing a manuscript (written by an idiot for an idiot). If you're a novelist using Google Docs or you are looking at preparing your story or book into a fully-forrmatted manuscript for submissions or portfoilios...then this is the guide for you!

For those who are just here to read, a manuscript is an authors typed or handwritten completed work that can be sent off to publishers, agents, magazines etc. As we all know, I've been preparing my manuscript to be sent off and I wish I didn't have to work this all out myself. Hence, why I made this guide. 

It doesn't matter if you are starting to write or have just finished, you want to make sure you have the basics tied down:

1. The margins. Now, you shouldn’t need to worry about margin size. Why? Margins should be 3cm, which translates to about an inch… the normal setting for Google Doc files.  

Even if you changed the margins to something else, there’s a quick fix: open the “View” menu, and choose “Show Ruler.” Manually adjust the arrows on the ruler back to the proper margin setting:

The arrows in question.

OR, a simple way to set your page up especially if you can't be bothered with additional steps is to head to "File" then "Page Setupt" to check and change your margin size. 

2.  Align your document to the left side only. This helps maintain continuity in spacing and allows your document’s right side to run ragged. Fun fact, we use left align so that the reader can read each line by simply moving their eyes to the left edge each time. This makes your paragraphs faster and easier to read because their eyes don't have to work as hard to find where the line starts each time. For people with dyslexia, central alignment is difficult and nauseating which is why 90% of books, publications and writing in general is left align.

For this step you'll want to select the whole document if you've already finished your page. Simply hit "Ctrl and a" together or if you really want to be technical go into the “Edit” menu, and find “Select All.” Or, if you have a Mac, simply hit “Command ⌘-A.” Go up to the task bar and click this setting:

3. Font: type, size, and color. Google Docs will automatically put all your documents in the font Arial which is perfectly fine for your manuscript. In general, your writing should be in any of the following fonts: Arial, Courier or Times New Roman. 

But what's the difference? Courier and Times New Roman are both serif fonts that are widely used by many publishers and newspapers as they show class and quality wheras Arial is a sans-serif font (without serifs) which means that the font is clean and modern looking,

SO, hit one of the options anyway, just to be safe. If you ever pasted any text – quotes or straight up plagarism – they may have an improper font which you'll have to change. 

There are exceptions to this rule. For example: an “insert”, those short clippings meant to resemble handwritten notes or articles, can be different. Still, you might want to use an accepted fonts until the manuscript has been bought.

Size: 12-point. Google Docs has a default size of 11-point font just to mess with you. This may become normal for manuscripts in the future, but until that change becomes official, stick with classic 12-point. It's easy to read for all readers and the average size for those who need glasses so if you want your book to go international, you'll need to make it universal.

Color: black font. I hate to break it to you, but nobody publishes in another colour of font than black. To re-hash Henry Ford's famous quote, You can have any colour you want as long as it is black. So please, no reds, no blues, or greens. They are difficult to read and won't get through the publishing line.

4. Double space. This helps readability and leaves room for markup. Since most submissions are electronic, there’s also no need to worry about hurting the environment with a huge printout. Your work doesn't need to be published in this spacing so don't worry about that, but do welcome any edits that will be written in. 

5. (Extra) Indent the entire document. Remember the margin arrow? The small rectangle above it can be manipulated separately to ensure new paragraphs and lines of dialogue indent perfect. Aim for one centimeter or half an inch:

Title Page

The all-important title page. Now that your manuscript settings are in order, you’re prepared to tackle the beast! Let’s continue, going top to bottom:

1. Place agent details at the top left. When you start sending to publishers, this lets them know which agency represents your work. Or, maybe you're like me and braving it without one, in this case I put my own details.

2. The Middle: title, “By”, your name, and word count rounded to the nearest hundred. Here’s an example:

Champagne Problems

By:

Samantha McPhillips

Approx. 92,800 words

(To find Word Count, head into the “Tools” menu. Or, if using a Mac, hit “Command ⌘-Shift-C” which can be used to find the word count of a highlighted area.)

3. Place contact info at the bottom right. I recommend: your name, your email, your phone number. If the manuscript was printed, your home address might be a good idea. 

4. Copyright info… isn’t necessary. But if you want to include it, double-click the lower 1-inch margin of your Google Document. This will activate the footer section.

The Body

There are a few peculiarities about a manuscript’s body that must be dealt with carefully!

First, start each chapter a third of the way down your page. To do this, we suggest carefully adjusting your first chapter. Then, choose one of two paths:

1. Copy the blank space, line up the next chapter with the top of a page, and simply hit “Paste.” Or-

2. Mentally tally how many times you hit “Enter,” then manually move every chapter into position.

Unfortunately, I'm unaware of a Google Document function that can make this process easier. The good news? It doesn’t take that long anyway! At most, probably around 15 minutes.

Finally, place either a hashtag or “The End” at the bottom of your document. This lets the reader know your novel has ended (while simultaneously providing you with a huge sense of relief).

Exporting

Once all else has been completed, remember that Google Documents can be saved in a huge range of types with the “File” menu. If you need a Word Document, PDF, or webpage (seriously), there’s an option just a click away!

Congratulations

There are many points along the path of novel writing that bring an immense feeling of joy: the completion of a draft, the conclusion of an edit, the sending of query letters. Crafting a fine-looking manuscript for submissions should come with that same sense of pride. I hope you enjoy the result: proper formatting is like the bow on a well-packaged present!