Guide F3
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How to Format Your Manuscript for Submission
The full standard manuscript format for agents and editors: fonts, spacing, margins, headers, the title page, chapter breaks, and where UK and US conventions differ.
Introduction
Formatting is not a creative decision. It is a professional convention.
The conventions exist because they serve a practical purpose.
Manuscript formatting is one of the most straightforward aspects of submission preparation, and one of the most frequently neglected. The conventions exist because they serve a practical purpose: a consistently formatted manuscript is easier and faster to read, makes word count estimation reliable, and signals to the agent or editor receiving it that the writer understands how the industry works. This guide shows how to format a manuscript for submission, element by element.
Why the wrong format costs attention
A manuscript submitted in a non-standard format does not automatically get rejected. But it does create friction at the very moment when the writing needs to speak for itself. An agent reading a submission in an unusual font at an unusual size, with irregular spacing and no header information, is spending attention on the format rather than the story. That is attention the story cannot afford to lose.
What this guide covers
This guide covers the full standard manuscript format: fonts, size, spacing, margins, headers, the title page, chapter breaks, and the differences between UK and US conventions. It is a practical reference guide, written to be used alongside the submission package guides in The Submissions Room. It also covers printing a manuscript for early readers, which follows the same format with minor adjustments.
A note from Nick
I wrote my manuscript in Segoe UI at 14 point, which is a perfectly good screen reading font at a size that makes long sessions comfortable. It is not a submission font. When I first started looking into what agents actually expect to receive, I discovered that the formatting conventions are specific, consistent across the industry, and largely non-negotiable. The font I had been writing in, the size, the spacing: none of it matched what a submission requires. Reformatting a completed manuscript is not difficult, but it is a reminder that writing for the screen and writing for submission are two different things, and that knowing the submission requirements before you begin is slightly better than discovering them at the end.
Why Format Matters
What your formatting signals before the agent reads a word
Formatting is one of the first signals an agent receives, before the writing can be assessed.
Agents and editors read a very large number of submissions. Most of them have developed strong instincts about what a submission looks like when it has been prepared carefully and what it looks like when it has not. Formatting is one of the first signals they receive, arriving before the quality of the writing can be assessed.
What the format signals
A submission in standard manuscript format signals that the writer has done the basic research into how the industry works. It does not guarantee the writing is good. But it removes a source of friction and allows the writing to be judged on its own terms. A submission in an idiosyncratic format signals the opposite, whether or not that is fair.
How the conventions help you
The conventions also serve the writer's interests directly. Double spacing and wide margins leave room for editorial notes. A running header with the author name, title, and page number means that if the manuscript is printed and pages become separated, every page can be identified and returned to its correct position. These are practical solutions to practical problems, not arbitrary rules.
The Standard Format
How to format a manuscript: every element, done correctly
Eight elements, each with a single correct answer.
1
Font
The standard submission fonts are Times New Roman and Courier New, both at 12 point. Times New Roman is the more commonly used of the two in the UK. Courier New remains preferred by some US agents and screenwriting conventions. Either is acceptable; the choice between them is a matter of convention and minor preference rather than significance.
Do not use sans-serif fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Segoe UI for submission. Do not use display fonts, script fonts, or any font that draws attention to itself. The font should be invisible. Its job is to make the words readable, not to communicate personality.
2
Font size
12 point throughout, without exception. Not 11 point to fit more words on the page. Not 14 point for readability. 12 point is the standard and departing from it in either direction is immediately noticeable to anyone who reads manuscripts regularly.
3
Line spacing
Double spacing throughout the body of the manuscript. This means setting line spacing to exactly 2.0, not "at least" or "multiple" in Word's line spacing options. Single spacing is used only for specific elements: the author's contact details on the title page, and occasionally for scene break markers.
Do not add extra space between paragraphs. In standard manuscript format, paragraphs are separated by indentation, not by white space. The combination of double spacing and no paragraph spacing produces the correct visual rhythm.
4
Paragraph indentation
The first line of each paragraph is indented by 0.5 inches (approximately 1.25 cm). Do not use the Tab key to create this indent: set it as a first-line indent in Word's paragraph formatting. This ensures consistency throughout the manuscript and prevents the indent from shifting if the document is opened on a different machine.
The first paragraph of each chapter, and the first paragraph after a section break or scene break, is not indented. This is a standard typographic convention: the indent signals continuation, and the first paragraph of a new section has nothing to continue from.
5
Margins
One inch (2.54 cm) on all four sides. This is non-negotiable. Narrower margins attempt to fit more words on the page and are immediately visible. Wider margins waste space and make the manuscript look thinner than it is. One inch all round.
6
Alignment
Left-aligned throughout. Do not use justified text in a manuscript submission. Justified text creates uneven spacing between words that is distracting to read and looks like typeset copy rather than a manuscript. Left-aligned text with a ragged right margin is the standard.
A note from Nick
The formatting conventions feel rigid until you understand why they exist, and then they feel entirely sensible. A submission manuscript is not a finished book: it is a working document that needs to be read, annotated, and passed between people. The double spacing, the wide margins, the standard font: all of these serve the reader rather than the writer. My accountancy background means I have always been comfortable with the idea that professional documents follow professional conventions. A set of accounts submitted in the wrong format would not be taken seriously. A manuscript is no different.
The Standard Format, Continued
Headers and page numbers
Two elements that keep every page of a printed manuscript identifiable.
7
Running header
Every page of the manuscript after the title page carries a running header. The standard format for the running header is: SURNAME / SHORT TITLE / page number. This appears in the top right corner of every page, in the same font and size as the body text.
The short title in the header is typically the first two or three significant words of the full title. If the full title is How to Build a Writing Schedule That Actually Works, the header might read SMITH / WRITING SCHEDULE / 1. The header uses all capitals for the author name and title by convention.
8
Page numbers
Page numbers begin on the first page of the manuscript text, not on the title page. The title page is not numbered. Use Word's automatic page numbering rather than typing numbers manually: manual page numbers cannot update when the document is edited and will quickly fall out of sequence.
The Title Page
What the title page contains and how it is laid out
The title page precedes the manuscript. It is not page one.
The title page is the first page of the submission document. It is not the first page of the manuscript: it precedes it. The manuscript begins on page 1 after the title page, and the title page itself carries no page number.
The layout
The title page contains the following information, in the following layout:
Top left corner: the author's real name (not a pen name, unless the submission is being made under a pen name by agreement), address, telephone number, and email address. Single-spaced.
Centre of the page, approximately halfway down: the full title of the manuscript, in capitals or title case, followed on the next line by "by" and the author's name as it will appear on the published book. If writing under a pen name, use the pen name here and the real name in the top left.
Bottom centre or bottom right: the word count, rounded to the nearest thousand. "Approximately 87,000 words" or "c. 87,000 words" are both acceptable. Do not give an exact word count.
The copyright notice
The title page also carries the copyright notice: Copyright [Year] [Author Name]. Unpublished manuscript. All rights reserved. This appears below the word count or as a separate line at the bottom of the page. An unpublished manuscript is automatically protected by copyright from the moment it is written: the notice is a professional formality, not a legal requirement, but it is standard practice.
Chapter Breaks
How chapters begin and end in a submission manuscript
Every chapter starts on a new page, a third of the way down.
Each chapter begins on a new page. Use a page break in Word rather than pressing Enter repeatedly to reach the top of a new page. A page break ensures the chapter start position is stable regardless of editing: repeated Enter presses shift whenever the text above them changes.
The chapter heading sits approximately one third of the way down the page, not at the very top. This is achieved by inserting blank lines above the chapter heading or by using Word's paragraph spacing. The chapter heading itself is typically centred and may be formatted as "Chapter One" or "Chapter 1" or simply "1": the choice is the writer's, but it should be consistent throughout the manuscript.
Starting the first paragraph
After the chapter heading, drop two lines before the first paragraph of the chapter begins. The first paragraph is not indented.
Scene breaks
Scene breaks within a chapter are indicated by a centred hash symbol (#) or three asterisks (***) on a line of their own, with a blank line above and below. Do not use a blank line alone to indicate a scene break: blank lines can disappear at page breaks and leave the reader unable to tell whether a scene break was intended.
UK vs US
Where the conventions differ between markets
The core format is the same. The differences are minor but worth knowing.
The core manuscript format is consistent across UK and US publishing. The differences are minor but worth knowing if you are submitting to agents in both markets.
Element
UK convention
US convention
Paper size
A4
US Letter (8.5 x 11 inches)
Preferred font
Times New Roman
Times New Roman or Courier New
Dialogue punctuation
Single quotation marks as standard
Double quotation marks as standard
Spelling
British English throughout
American English throughout
Date format on title page
DD/MM/YYYY
MM/DD/YYYY
Chapter heading position
One third down the page
One third down the page
Converting dialogue punctuation
The dialogue punctuation difference is the most significant practical distinction. A manuscript written for UK submission uses single quotation marks for dialogue. The same manuscript reformatted for US submission uses double quotation marks. Word's Find and Replace function can handle this conversion, but review the result carefully: automated replacement does not distinguish between dialogue marks and apostrophes, and errors will appear.
Printing for Readers
Preparing a manuscript for early readers before submission
The same format, with one practical adjustment.
A manuscript printed for early readers, beta readers, or trusted reviewers follows the same format as a submission manuscript, with one practical adjustment: the running header can be simplified or omitted, as page identification is less critical when the manuscript stays with one reader.
Print on A4 paper, double-sided if the manuscript is long, single-sided if the reader will want to annotate heavily. Leave the margins at one inch to give room for notes. Use Times New Roman or Courier New at 12 point, double-spaced. The result will be a document that is easy to read, easy to annotate, and that prepares the reader for the experience of reading a proper manuscript rather than a screen document.
Printing from Word
Print from Word rather than converting to PDF first. Word gives you direct control over margins, headers, and page breaks. If you do convert to PDF, check the PDF carefully before printing: some Word formatting does not survive the conversion cleanly.
Add the copyright notice to the title page of any printed copy: Copyright [Year] [Author Name]. Unpublished manuscript. All rights reserved. This is a precaution rather than a legal necessity, but it is a sensible one for any manuscript that will leave your hands before publication.
Where to go next
With the manuscript formatted, the next stage is the submission package. How to Write a Query Letter (Guide G2, The Submissions Room) covers the query letter in detail.
For guidance on finding the right literary agent for your book, see How to Find the Right Literary Agent for Your Book (Guide G3, The Submissions Room).
Before You Close This Guide
Let the format disappear so the writing can be seen
Standard format removes friction at the moment the story needs full attention.
None of these conventions will make a weak manuscript strong, and none of them is difficult. Times New Roman at 12 point, double spacing, one-inch margins, indented paragraphs, a running header and a clean title page are enough to show an agent that you know how the industry works. Set them up once, check them before every submission, and the agent can spend their attention where it belongs: on the story.
What to do next
Where you are: Ready for editing, guide 5 of 5
Check the four basics against the standard.
1. Do this now
Open your manuscript and check the font, size, line spacing and margins against the standard format.
2. Read next
G4: What the First Page of Your Manuscript Tells an Agent (Ticket). Formatted correctly, the first page is what the agent reads. Make it count.
G1: How to Write a Synopsis That Does Its Job (Open). The synopsis travels with the manuscript. Write it next.
H1: Self-Publishing vs Traditional: A Practical Comparison (Open). Next on your path. Decide whether submission is the route for you.
3. Not sure?
Self-publishing instead? H3: Self-Publishing Platforms: KDP, IngramSpark, and the Alternatives
Not sure the manuscript is finished? E6: When Is Your Manuscript Actually Finished?
Need professional editing first? E4: The Types of Editing: What Each One Does and When You Need It
← Previous on this path: E6: When Is Your Manuscript Actually Finished?
Next on this path: H1: Self-Publishing vs Traditional: A Practical Comparison →