How can you prepare your manuscript before sending it to your editor

​​You finished writing and editing your manuscript to the best of your abilities. "What's next?" you ask. Sending your manuscript to a professional editor and get feedback about your story. Read the article to learn about the 12 formatting steps that authors need to take before sending their manuscript to a professional editor.

Since most editors work in Microsoft Word, it is best to prepare your manuscript in that software. If you have written or edited your manuscript in another software (Scrivener, Google Docs, Campfire etc.), export your manuscript to Microsoft Word first. Are you ready? I now present you with the 12 formatting steps.
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1. Page size
2. Margins
3. Font
4. Alignment
5. Line spacing
6. Indentation
7. Style function for headings
8. Page breaks between chapters
9. Scene breaks
10. Number your pages
11. “END” your manuscript
12. Send your manuscript as one document

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1. Page size
Use the industry standard page size of “8.5x11” (the dimensions of a standard piece of paper).
Go to the “Layout” tab >Size and choose “Letter 8.5x11”.

2. Margins
Set one-inch margins on all sides. 
Go to the “Layout” tab>Margins and set one-inch margins  (1 in= 2.54 cm) on all sides (top, bottom, left, right).

3. Font 
Use black, 14-point, Times New Roman font.
Go to the “Home” Tab and select 14-point Times New Roman font. Make sure to use black font on a white page.

4. Alignment
Make your text is left-aligned.  Go to the “Home” Tab and choose “Align left” in the paragraph section.

5. Line spacing
Choose 1.5 or 2.0 for the entire manuscript. Don’t add extra space before or after paragraphs.

6. Indentation
Indent all paragraphs by 0.5 inches.
Don’t hit the TAB key or the space bar multiple times!
You can easily adjust automatic indentation settings. 
Click on the paragraph arrow on the “Home” Tab, and select “Indents and Spacing.” Under the indentation section, add by “Left” 0.5 cm,  select “special” and choose “first line.”

7. Style function for headings
Do not manually change the font, the font size, or italicize the chapter titles or chapter numbers of your manuscript.
Use the style function instead to associate the correct heading (H1, H2, H3, etc.) so that your chapter or scene headings are consistent throughout the manuscript.

8. Page breaks between chapters
Use page breaks between chapters. 
When creating a new chapter, don’t press ENTER multiple times until you reach a new page. Instead, use the “page break” function (“Insert” tab> Page Break) to insert a new page without inserting unnecessary space in the manuscript.

 9. Scene breaks
If your manuscript includes scenes within chapters, it is important to add scene breaks as a way to break down chapters into smaller sections.
The most common standard marking for scene breaks is 3 centered asterisks (***).

10. Number your pages
Number your pages starting with 1 on the first page after the title page. Go to the “Insert” tab> “Page number” and choose one of the “Plain Number” styles from the “Top of Page” or “Bottom of Page” sections.
If your manuscript includes front matter (table of contents, copyright page etc.) number those pages with Roman numerals.

11. “END” your manuscript
Type “END” after the last line of your manuscript and center-align it. This way, whoever reads your manuscript (editors, agents etc.) will be aware that they have reached the end of the manuscript and there are not any missing pages.
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12. Send your manuscript as one document
​You can write your manuscript in as many documents as you want. You can outline, write and revise it in any writing software that suits your needs, such as Scrivener, Google Docs etc. However, make sure to combine all your documents into one Microsoft Word document and send your entire manuscript in one document.

That's the 12 formatting tips that you can use to prepare your manuscript before sending it to your editor. Make sure to follow these steps. Your editor will surely thank you! 

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Further reading
How to brainstorm your novel’s genre and main characters
How character profiles can help you write consistent and compelling characters
How to write a romance novel using the 3-act structure
How to create a consistent writing routine

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About the author

​​​Maria Georgiou is a professional developmental editor for romance authors. She specialises in editing contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance and romantasy. She is a member of the EFA and ClubEdFreelancers. 
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