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Why don't you just list all these details in the
contest regulations?
For the same reason that we don't
explain a Sonnet or a Haiku, or a Mystery or a Western. If you want to write, you must investigate to learn the specifics.
When a contest calls for 'standard manuscript format', it is telling you that you must follow accepted publishing practices.
However, recognizing that all writers
are in various phases of their craft, and a lot are just beginning, and most of us are always learning, White County Creative
Writers has posted this page to help guide you through the maze. If there are other things you have heard, read, or
run across that you have questions about, please e-mail us and we'll try to help you find the answers!
Click here for examples of 1st and 2nd pages of manuscripts.
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WHAT IS MANUSCRIPT FORMAT? Publications and contests require submissions
to be in Manuscript Format. This is a form that is a consistent way of presenting your work. Editors and judges
know where to look for certain information and find this form makes it easy to edit and qualify your work. The following
tips were referenced from ByLine Magazine with the permission of Marcia Preston, and will help your submissions stay in good standing.
NOTE- Some rules
for contests are different from those for publication, so we have tried to include comments to guide you through that maze.
ALWAYS check in detail the contest specifications, as they can vary.
1. Use a simple type style like Times Roman or Courier, no smaller
than 10 point (12 is better) on a letter quality printer. DO NOT use fancy type faces or script styles. The goal
is to make the manuscript look professional and pleasant to read.
2. Use white bond paper, 20 pound or better, 8-1/2 x 11
inches. NO onionskin, lined or colored stock.
3. FOR SUBMISSION FOR PUBLICATION type
your name, complete address, phone number and e-mail address in the upper left corner, single spaced. In the upper right
corner, type approximate word count of the manuscript (line count for poetry) and what rights are available.
FOR CONTESTS, follow instructions for identification
of manuscripts. Name and address are usually not to appear on judges copy.
4. Double space all prose manuscripts. Poetry may be single-spaced.
DO NOT justify right-hand margins. Allow 1 to 1-1/2 inch margins all around.
5. Drop down about half-way on the first page, then center your
title. FOR PUBLICATION, list your byline underneath the title. For CONTESTS
do not.
6. Start your text below the byline (or title, for contests)
indenting each paragraph 5 spaces. DO NOT add extra space between paragraphs.
7. FOR PUBLICATION, on page two and
subsequent pages, type the title or a key word in the upper left corner as a header, followed by a dash and your last name.
Place the page number in upper right. The text should begin 3 or 4 spaces below this header. CONTESTS
usually require that your name not be shown.
8. Type on one side of paper only. Paper clip the finished pages
together - do not staple unless instructed to do so - and do not put the manuscript in a folder.
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CONTEST TIPS
1. Follow Guidelines.
The first thing to be discarded is a submission that doesn't follow the rules. Don't submit handwriting on legal paper
if typewritten work is specified. If the short story has a 1500 maximum word limit, less is fine, but 1510 will get
your piece thrown out. MORE is NOT better.
2. Edit your
work. Second into the discard pile is work full of misspellings, bad grammar, and terrible punctuation.
If you miss that double period at the end of the 12th line on the third page, the judge will probably be forgiving.
But if you spell writer without the 'w', he will notice. A word of advice. Spellchecker is nice, but doesn't know
that Tree Blind Mice is not what you meant.
3. Don't try
to be fancy. Colored paper, fancy fonts, marginal comments and decorations are no-no's when submitting any
work. Judges and editors are considering your writing skills, not your design sense.
4. Pay
attention to detail. If the contest is for an essay about war, don't tell about your cat unless it is a veteran.
Make sure your Eiffel Tower is located in Paris. If a word is misspelled because of dialect, make sure the reader can
tell it is intentional. Watch for characters changing names in the middle of the story.
5. Don't
use pen names. Judges don't see the names of entrants, and when prizes are awarded, officials don't know what
name to put on the check. The time for this is when the piece is printed - then you can work it out with your publisher.
6. Keep
cliches and dialect to a minimum. Your writing should be fresh and original. Dialect is difficult to
read, and you don't want your judge to pass your work in disgust because he can't decipher it.
7. Catch the
judges attention. Try to find an off-the-wall approach; a meaning not normally associated with the required
key word or subject. Keep a touch of humor in your work. If you treat it like a dry term paper, it is not likely
to be considered outstanding. You CAN be different and still follow the rules.
8. READ
your final piece ALOUD. You WILL catch errors you missed before.
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