There is a lot of information about the query process, and submitting to agents and editors. However, one area which is not covered, as often, is the formatting of a manuscript. A great number of editors and agents are now reading submissions on their Kindles and other e-readers. An author can make an agent or editor’s reading life easier by understanding a few elements in the manuscript format process before you submit your manuscript.
Some things do not change such as using Times New Roman 12 pt font or making sure that you have one-inch margins all the way around your manuscript. But other issues in formatting do change. For example, Tabs do not show up on e-readers. In order to remove all tabs from a manuscript you can use Find and Replace (Ctrl + f) to deleate all your tabs by using ^t in MS Word.
To find out more about formatting for submissions, agent, Vickie Motter at Andrea Hurst Literary Management has a great post on her blog, Navigating the Slush Pile.
Also, authors need to note that when submitting to e-publishers they will also have their own submission format which is more than simply uploading your current version of your manuscript. E-publishers are those publishers that primarily publish e-books. The e-publishers are not to be confused with publishing self-published e-books such as Amazon’s Create Space. E-publishers are publishers who primarily publish for the e-book market, and they do have submission guidelines.
For example, Wild Rose Press and Muse It Up are two e-publishers. These e- publishers have a submission process, and if chosen for publication, your manuscript will undergo edits, design, formatting for all e-markets, marketing and promotion by those who are on staff with the publishing house. If published by an e-publisher, your book will be released as an e-book, and some have the option to move to print at a later date.
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