That way, you can save agents and publishers from having to comb through email threads or meeting notes just to get the information they want.
#Google doc book template professional#
The standard professional manuscript will also have a cover page that includes your book’s title, genre, and word count as well as your contact details. They will have all the information that agents and editors need Some may also prefer to read hard copies of manuscripts, and if so they’ll appreciate having the page number and references to the title at the top of every page: if they find random sheets on their desk, they’ll know which manuscript it belongs to. They're easy to read and manageĪt the most basic level agents and editors find it easiest to read manuscripts in standard format - if it looks the way they're used to, they won’t be distracted. But when it’s time to share your book with agents and publishers - whose first impressions could make or break your career - you need to ensure your manuscript doesn’t stand out for the wrong reasons, like unprofessional formatting. You can even write your manuscript on a legal pad if you like (and some authors do). When you’re writing a first draft that’s for your eyes only, there’s no “wrong” manuscript format. Why must authors use a standard manuscript format?
![google doc book template google doc book template](https://ecdn.teacherspayteachers.com/thumbitem/My-Teaching-Day-Book-Google-Sheets-5649959-1591256427/original-5649959-1.jpg)
While manuscripts will have been printed and unbound in the past, they are mostly shared in digital formats these days. Requirements don’t often vary much between agents, but it’s always worth checking their website for anything specific or unique. It also includes a title page and page headers, and will be formatted according to the guidelines set out by the agent you’re submitting to (single- or double-spaced, font, font size, etc). The manuscript you’ll send to literary agents and publishers is more than just a document with your rough draft, though. Jack Torrance's infamous manuscript from T he Shining (Warner Bros) Or to put it another way, it’s your book before it gets published. In modern usage, the manuscript commonly refers to early drafts of novels, nonfiction works, or even short stories. Have you ever wondered why it’s called a manuscript? The word actually comes from the Latin for “handwritten.” After all, in the past, all literary works were drafted freehand.
![google doc book template google doc book template](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tKRC-Pf-Dcg/maxresdefault.jpg)
#Google doc book template download#
In this two-part guide, we’ll look at what a book manuscript actually is, walk you through the process of formatting your own, and, perhaps most importantly, give you a ready-made format that you can download for free.
![google doc book template google doc book template](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/La8fjs-1sjg/hqdefault.jpg)
So before you send off your book to beta readers, editors, or literary agents, make sure that it’s formatted just right - their jobs will be much easier if they receive exactly what they’re expecting. In the publishing industry, everyone who reads your manuscript will expect to see it in a certain standardized format.