Manuscript Layout

[allgirls]

I'm printing out my Nano Novel to do some revisions and it's really small font.

So what I'm wondering is "What is standard layout?" What font? Double space? I'm using a layout with a sidebar for notes now but for a submission what would be acceptable?

Or is there no standard, and different folks want different things.

I'm not likely submitting this manuscript but in the future maybe something and I'd like to know.

Thanks

Allgirls

[Oriole]

This should help.
I'm in love with that website!

http://hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/ma...ormatting.html

[midnightwriter]

Originally Posted by Oriole

This should help.
I'm in love with that website!

http://hollylisle.com/fm/Articles/ma...ormatting.html

That's perfect. I'd suggest to format first--I ended up with hundreds of pages that needed formatting, and it was...a huge PITA

Does anyone know how to get rid of the header / page number on the title page? in the old Word there was this checmark, "display header / footer / page number" on the first page. I can't find anything like this in the new Word / Vista.

[allgirls]

I did all the formatting and then went to the "add cover sheet" in word and there was no page number on the coversheet.

Or somewhere in the formatting of adding a page number doesn't it give you the option to start on page 2?

I love this website! Thanks.

[midnightwriter]

Originally Posted by allgirls

I did all the formatting and then went to the "add cover sheet" in word and there was no page number on the coversheet.

Or somewhere in the formatting of adding a page number doesn't it give you the option to start on page 2?

I love this website! Thanks.

Cover sheet! That must be it! Thank you. I can't find the option of starting on page two. I'm not saying it is not there, but it is not apparent even after some serious searching. Or I'm an idiot (also an option).

[Aufilia]

By "cover sheet" I think she just means the first page with the title and stuff? You don't need a "cover sheet" option, just put all that stuff on page 1.

You'll just want to find and use the "Different Header/Footer on first page" option. In Word 2007 it's under the INSERT menu, then under the Header down-arrow, and "Edit Header". In Word 2003 and earlier I think it's under "Page Setup" under the File menu, but I don't have 2003 on this computer so I can't check.

If you really want your 2nd page where the manuscript starts to be the page numbered 1, you can tell Word that page 2 is a new Section, then there's an option somewhere called "Restart Page Numbering". I can't figure out how to do a new Section in Word 2007 at all...

FWIW the 1.5" margins all around is not the advice I usually see; I usually see 1" margins all around recommended. 1.5" is kinda excessive IMO, and wastes a lot of paper if it's a long manuscript.

This article by Vonda McIntyre is one I see recommended a lot; it's a PDF and she illustrates a lot of her advice visually. It's SF/F oriented; but then, Holly Lisle is also a SF/F writer. There are a few other nice articles on the SFWA site about manuscript format, packaging, and word counting.

[midnightwriter]

Originally Posted by Aufilia

By "cover sheet" I think she just means the first page with the title and stuff? You don't need a "cover sheet" option, just put all that stuff on page 1.

You'll just want to find and use the "Different Header/Footer on first page" option. In Word 2007 it's under the INSERT menu, then under the Header down-arrow, and "Edit Header". In Word 2003 and earlier I think it's under "Page Setup" under the File menu, but I don't have 2003 on this computer so I can't check.

If you really want your 2nd page where the manuscript starts to be the page numbered 1, you can tell Word that page 2 is a new Section, then there's an option somewhere called "Restart Page Numbering". I can't figure out how to do a new Section in Word 2007 at all...

FWIW the 1.5" margins all around is not the advice I usually see; I usually see 1" margins all around recommended. 1.5" is kinda excessive IMO, and wastes a lot of paper if it's a long manuscript.

This article by Vonda McIntyre is one I see recommended a lot; it's a PDF and she illustrates a lot of her advice visually. It's SF/F oriented; but then, Holly Lisle is also a SF/F writer. There are a few other nice articles on the SFWA site about manuscript format, packaging, and word counting.

Thank you!

(Maybe I'm okay with having page number on the title page I mean, they won't throw my MS out just because of that, eh?)