Polish

Our Quick Guide to manuscript presentation
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The presentation of your manuscript makes a big difference. Agents aren't mostly looking to accept a manuscript. They're looking for early warning signs that say to them this manuscript isn't one for them

So don't give yourself away on the silly stuff. Spelling matters. So does punctuation and layout. We've seen enough manuscripts to know that the authors who care most about the little things are often those who also care most about the big ones.

Many of the errors that crop up are very common ones. The list below isn't exhaustive, but it's a good place to start.

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Totally Trim Text

• Use double-line spacing. Also use Times New Roman, font size 12.

• Indent paragraphs (using the tab key or the paragraph formatting menu – don’t rely on the space bar).

• Do not leave a double space between paragraphs except as a section break.

• Dialogue counts as new paragraphs, therefore it should be indented. When speech by one character is interrupted by a descriptive line, and then the speech continues, this all counts as one paragraph. Begin the next paragraph with the next speaker.

• Use single quotation marks for dialogue. When dialogue is followed by ‘said x’ or chortled Y’ then you should not capitalise either the s of said or the c of chortled. This is true even if the dialogue ends with an exclamation mark or a question mark.

• Americans & Canadians should ignore the above and follow these rules instead.

An exemplary example

‘This manuscript is nicely presented,’ said the agent.

‘Indeed it is,’ said the publisher. She paused briefly, to strike off a few zeros from an author’s royalty statement. ‘It is well presented. And intelligent. And beautifully written.’

‘But Richard & Judy won’t like it.’

‘No, indeed. Nor the Chief Buyer at Tescos.’

‘So we’ll reject it!’ they chorused, laughing wildly.

Their limousine swept on through the rainy streets, leaving a faint aroma of cigar smoke and Chanel no. 5 lingering on the mild springtime air.

If in doubt, open (almost) any paperback book. The way it's laid out is the way yours should be.

Perfect Punctuation Please

There is one general rule for punctuation: it is there to help avoid ambiguity.
Commas are tricky fellas, but they are often missed out before names. Get into the habit of putting them in and you will avoid absurdities such as, I would really like to eat Paul
The hyphen is an endangered species, and only the writer can save it. Again, it is vital so as to avoid ambiguities and absurdities. The white toothed whale. Is it the whale or the teeth that are white?

It is a good rule to avoid lists of adjectives but, when you have them, check to see if any should be hyphenated. You can have a dining room, but a table there becomes a dining-room table.

Semicolons are also endangered and yet can bring a deal of subtlety to a writer’s style. A semicolon links two related sentences; the second often elaborates or adds context to the first. A semi-colon is stronger than a comma, not as strong as a full-stop.
Colons are used where one sentence introduces another. The rule is simple: use the colon when one sentence introduces the next.

By far the most common mistake - and the sort of thing which will have most agents screaming in frustration and hurling your book into the far corner of the room - has to do with apostrophes. These are simple beasts, so get them right.

It's means it is. It's raining - for example.

Its means the thing belonging to it. The dog licked its derriere - for example.

The son's python means the python of the son, singular.

The sons' anaconda means the anaconda of the sons, plural.

Finally, if you need more help, then get it. Correct Punctuation is a website that offers much fuller tips than we offer here - and also recommends further reading for anyone who really wants to become a punctuation buff.

Horribly Horrific Howlers

Check your text for the following:

Your & you’re

Your meat = the meat which belongs to you

You're dead meat = you are dead meat

Who’s & whose

Who's that monkey? = who is that monkey?

Whose monkey? = To whom does that fine monkey belong?

There & their

Their carpet = the carpet belonging to them

That carpet there = that carpet over yonder

Do use a computer to spell-check your work, but don’t rely on it. Read and re-read your work checking for typos. If you know your own spelling is poor, then ask a friend. If you have only dyslexic friends, then ask us. We can offer cheap-and-cheerful copyediting - a professional finish at minimal cost.

Polish is nothing without elbow grease:

Further help

The Writers' Workshop is run by writers for writers. We are here to help you. For more, please just contact us.
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