This is the original version of “Proper Manuscript Format,” exactly as I wrote it in 1993,
and approximately as it would have appeared on the web in late 1995.
It’s much more proscriptive and smart-alecky than later versions,
not to mention filled with advice that you should not under any circumstances heed today.
I present it here for historical purposes—and my own amusement—only.
(Click here for the current version of this guide.)
Shunn / Format / 9
story happens to fall at the bottom of a page. In this case, you
may wish to write the word "end" by hand and in blue ink in the
bottom margin of the last page.
#
The advantage you'll get by following these guidelines is
that your manuscript will look professional. You'll look like
you know what you're doing, and sometimes, when dealing with a
cantankerous editor, simply looking like you know what you're
doing is half the battle. It will put you on his or her good
side from the start.
What the editor thinks after reading your manuscript is
another matter altogether, and a subject for another essay. One
written by someone else.
Last updated 12 October 1995
“Proper Manuscript Format” by William Shunn is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Go deeper with More on Formatting, William Shunn’s look at advanced topics in manuscript formatting. Submit your questions to info at format dot ms. We regret that we cannot respond to all submissions individually, nor can we accept or open email attachments.