If you decide to publish your book through a mainstream publishing house or publisher, they can decide from one glance whether or not your manuscript has been formatted correctly, which ultimately determines the fate of your book. It’s all about first impressions and showing respect for your craft. If the content’s quality and relevance are what matter, why do we stress the need to format a manuscript before submitting it to an editor or going to market with it? In short, why is formatting so important? We’ll get into the details of this disclaimer, shortly. Although the general rules remain the same across books, formatting is not necessarily one-size-fits-all. ![]() Things like alignment, margins, indentation, pagination, line breaks, and paragraphs, fonts and typeface, structural elements like chapters and sections fall under standard formatting practices. So, what is formatting, and what does it include?įormatting is a definitive set of guidelines that inform the visuals and appearance of your manuscript. Formatting is what makes it evident to your readers, editors, or agents that your book is consistent, professional, and deserving of their time, attention, and interest. ![]() ![]() It’s so much more than just spacing and lines and page numbers. No matter how delectable their food is, it would be unwise for them to not “tidy it up” before taking it to Michelin star chefs or celebrated restaurateurs, or even their customers. That’s the case with your manuscript as well! Formatting is what makes your work look organized, structured, neat, and easily readable. But before they present it to the judges, every chef takes time to plate their preparation in an eye-catching manner, by arranging their food into proper portions and picking out the right crockery and cutlery for each dish. Most of us might remember watching high-intensity cooking shows where budding chefs need to prepare something extravagant and delicious under tremendous pressure and the steady ticking of the clock.
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