Standard Manuscript Format: Complete Guide for Submissions & Agents
The definitive industry specification for formatting your novel before pitching literary agents, publishers, and editors.
Why Formatting Is Your First Impression
Literary agents and acquisitions editors read dozens of manuscripts a week. When a file arrives with exotic fonts, single spacing, colored text, or irregular margins, it immediately signals amateurism before the first sentence is even read.
Standard Manuscript Format (often called the Shunn Format, codified by William Shunn) was engineered for editors holding physical red pens and reviewers reading on digital e-ink devices. It prioritizes legibility, precise line counting, and seamless note-taking.
The 8 Golden Rules of Manuscript Formatting
Times New Roman or Courier
12pt size throughout. Never use decorative display fonts or sans-serif typefaces for the body.
Exact Double-Spacing
2.0 line spacing with exactly zero added space before or after paragraphs.
1-Inch (2.54 cm) Uniform
Left, right, top, and bottom margins must be exactly 1 inch on standard US Letter (or A4).
First-Line Indent (0.5 inch)
Every paragraph indent 0.5 inches. Never use the spacebar to indent paragraphs.
How to Build the Perfect Title Page
In standard novel manuscripts, the title page contains your contact information in the top-left corner (single-spaced):
Halfway down the page, center the novel title in ALL CAPS, followed by a double space and your byline.
Running Headers & Folio Standards
Beginning on page two (or chapter one), include a right-aligned running header in the top margin:
DOE / THE OBSIDIAN CHRONICLES / 2
Format: LASTNAME / KEYWORD TITLE / PAGE NUMBER. If physical pages are dropped, this header ensures the editor can restore order in seconds.
Handling Scene Breaks Without Blank Lines
Never use an empty blank line to indicate a scene break. In typesetting, a blank line falling at the bottom of a page is indistinguishable from a standard page turn. Instead, center a single hashmark (#) or three asterisks (* * *) on their own line.
Compiling Automatically with WritePlanCreate
Formatting manuscripts manually in Microsoft Word or Google Docs can take hours of tweaking tabs and header unlinks. WritePlanCreate’s built-in Compiler formats your entire binder tree into an immaculate, publication-ready DOCX or valid e-reader EPUB with a single click.
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