Editing Standard manuscript format (section)

{{Short description|Conventions regarding how to submit material to publishers}}
'''Standard manuscript format''' is a formatting style for [[Manuscript (publishing)|manuscript]]s of short stories, novels, poems and other literary works submitted by authors to [[publisher]]s. Even with the advent of [[desktop publishing]], making it possible for anyone to prepare text that appears professionally [[typesetting|typeset]], many publishers still require authors to submit manuscripts within their respective guidelines. Although there is no single set of guidelines, the "standard" format describes formatting that is considered to be generally acceptable.<ref name="Shunn">{{cite journal|last1=Shunn|first1=William|title=Proper Manuscript Format|journal= Writers Write: The Internet Writing Journal|date=December 1998|url=http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html}}</ref>

Although publishers' guidelines for formatting are the most critical resource for authors,<ref>{{cite book|title= Formatting and Submitting your Manuscript|edition= 3rd|last1= Sambuchino|first1= Chuck|last2= The Editors of Writer's Digest Books|year= 2009|publisher= Writer's Digest Books|location= Cincinnati, OH|isbn= 978-1-58297-571-9|pages= [https://archive.org/details/formattingsubmit00samb/page/5 5, 10]|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/formattingsubmit00samb/page/5}}
</ref> [[style guide]]s are also key references for authors preparing manuscripts since "virtually all professional editors work closely with one of them in editing a manuscript for publication."<ref>{{cite book |title= The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Grammar and Punctuation: A Handy Reference to Resolve All Your Grammatical Problems|last= Stevenson|first=Jay|year=2005|publisher=Alpha Books|isbn=978-1-59257-393-6|page=viii}}</ref>

Manuscript formatting depends greatly on the type of work that is being written, as well as the individual publisher, editor or producer. Writers who intend to submit a manuscript should determine what the relevant writing standards are, and follow them. Individual publishers' standards will take precedence over [[style guide]]s.<ref>{{cite book|title= Formatting and Submitting your Manuscript|edition= 3rd|last1= Sambuchino|first1= Chuck|last2= The Editors of Writer's Digest Books|year= 2009|publisher= Writer's Digest Books|location= Cincinnati, OH|isbn= 978-1-58297-571-9|pages= [https://archive.org/details/formattingsubmit00samb/page/10 10–11]|url-access= registration|url= https://archive.org/details/formattingsubmit00samb/page/10}}</ref>