Tips from Michael Bracken, an editor mentioned in The October Publishing Game
William Shunn offers two samples: the “modern” version and the “classic.”
Note that Shunn didn’t create this out of thin air. The classic version has been standard since the days of typewriters, and this is what experienced (that is, older) editors are accustomed to and expect to see (even though many of us now prefer the modern version). The primary difference between the modern and classic versions is the chosen typeface.
Note that this only represents how a properly formatted manuscript will look when printed in hard copy.
Properly preparing a manuscript using a word processing program such as Microsoft Word requires knowing more than this.
For example, the proper way to center a line of text is NOT by pressing the space bar multiple times to shift the line of text to the center of the page.
So, learn how to use Word’s various commands to indent paragraphs, center lines of type, add headers (and footers, which aren’t typically used in manuscript preparation), and so on.
I’m unsure why, but many writers do not understand/know how to use Track Changes in Microsoft Word. Given that many editors use Track Changes, this should be on every writer’s list of Things to Learn.
Here are two videos from Microsoft that provide basic information:
Word training Share and coauthor Track changes and show markup
Word training Share and coauthor Accept or reject changes
Edgar Award nominee and Shamus Award nominee, Michael Bracken received multiple awards for copywriting, three Derringer Awards for short fiction, and the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer Award for lifetime achievement in short mystery fiction. The author of several books and almost 1,300 short stories, he edited or coedited thirty-two published or forthcoming crime fiction anthologies, including the Anthony Award–nominated The Eyes of Texas, and provides editorial services to book and periodical publishers.His next anthology, Janie’s Got a Gun: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Aerosmith, releases on November 8, 2024, and is available for preorder, in ebook or paperback, at Janie’s Got a Gun edited by Michael Bracken—White City Press.
