Everyone in the publishing industry will expect you to format your manuscript in a very specific way. So before you start querying editors or literary agents, you need to make sure your manuscript looks like like the work of someone who understands the industry. Here’s a quick look at manuscripts and why they should look they way they look.

What is a book manuscript?

A manuscript is an early draft of a novel, nonfiction work, or short story collection. Or, to put it another way, it’s your book before it gets published. 

The manuscript you’ll send to literary agents and publishers is more than just a document with your rough draft, though. It also includes a title page and page headers, and will be formatted according to the guidelines set out by the agent you’re submitting to (single- or double-spaced, font, font size, etc). Requirements don’t often vary much between agents, but it’s always worth checking their website for anything specific or unique. 

While manuscripts were once printed and unbound stacks of paper, these days, they’re usually digital files.

Fun fact: The word comes from Latin for “handwritten.”

Why must authors use a standard manuscript format?

When you’re writing a first draft that’s for your eyes only, there’s no “wrong” manuscript format. You can even write your manuscript on a legal pad if you like (and some authors do). But when it’s time to share your book with agents and publishers — whose first impressions could make or break your career — you need to ensure your manuscript doesn’t stand out for the wrong reasons, like unprofessional formatting. 

They’re easy to read and manage

At the most basic level, agents and editors find it easiest to read manuscripts in standard format — if it looks the way they’re used to, they won’t be distracted. Some may also prefer to read hard copies of manuscripts, and if so they’ll appreciate having the page number and references to the title at the top of every page: if they find random sheets on their desk, they’ll know which manuscript it belongs to.

They will have all the information that agents and editors need

The standard professional manuscript will also have a cover page that includes your book’s title, genre, word count, and contact details. That way, you can save agents and publishers from combing through email threads or meeting notes to get the information they want.  

It demonstrates that you know what you’re doing

And finally, formatting your manuscript correctly shows that you respect and understand the industry standards, suggesting that you’ll be professional and easy to work with. In other words, it’s the literary equivalent of not turning up to your job interview in a messy t-shirt, but in this case the crisp ironed shirt is an error-free and carefully proofread manuscript.