1. Type your
manuscript in standard font (E.g., Times New Roman, Helvetica). Remember
the publisher's typist has to be able to read it. Don't use fancy fonts.
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2. Type your
manuscript in font size 12 or larger.
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3. Double
space. Don't type your prose in single lines. hard to follow for typist.
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4. Proofread
manuscript. Consult spelling checker, dictionaries, thesauruses and other source
books.
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5. Pay
attention to similar words. Know their differences (to lie/to lay; then/than;
there/their; to send/sent; etc.)
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6. Watch out
for tenses. Dont switch tenses, unless there is a reason for it (E.g., flashback)
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7. Watch out
for who (the subject) and whom (the object); same with I (the
subject) me (the object).
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8. Don't switch
the telling of your character through one character after another. Stick with a
viewpoint character, through whom the reader experiences the story.
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9. Follow a
publication's guidelines. Every publisher/editor has a different set of guidelines.
Know for whom you are writing.
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10. Be in
control of the English language. Know when and how to use the standard form, when
and how to use slang or dialectal variations.
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11. Know what your editor wants. (Read
some of the back issues to get an idea.)
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| 12. When you submit your
manuscript, always include a SASE. |
Motto
We write for the reader, something the reader would like to
read. We do not write for ourselves, something we feel the reader should know about
ourselves! |