So why do we mention them? Because every one of these is routinely violated by authors who don’t pay attention. If you don’t touch the settings on your word processing program, you are fine. Most of these rules are baked into the defaults of Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Most of the conventions will seem obvious: use a standard font like Times New Roman, use black text on a white background, set the paper size to 8.5″x11″ (Check out this post on manuscript formatting for a full list of rules). When an editor reads a manuscript, they want it basic so they can focus on the quality of the writing. Its purpose is to give editors a clear and consistent document that’s easy to read. It’s the actual Microsoft Word (or Google Docs) file that contains your book. Interior Layout Formatting Manuscript FormattingĪ manuscript is a finished, written book.
