Getting it right from the start
Rule
Number One
In a lot of cases, first drafts will
be handwritten. My first two were,
although I tend to type quicker these days and my handwriting is seriously
lacking in legibility! Therefore, rule
number one is type out your manuscript onto a computer. Sounds obvious, but it’s a MUST.
Rule
Number Two
Use the correct format. For children’s novels; this differs depending
on where you look, but here are some basic rules from www.ehow.com;
o 1
Once in Word, open your Normal Template to
establish the basics for your manuscript.
o 2
Set the font to Times New Roman or Arial, 12-point
size in black. Do not use bold, italics, underline or any colors.
o 3
Set the paragraphs to left alignment based on the body text and the line spacing to double.
o
4
Set the margins for the document to one inch on all sides.
o 5
Set the indentation to zero and the first line
indentation to a half inch.
o 6
Set the spacing before and after each paragraph to
zero.
o 7
Number your pages. Start with one. Set a page break
at the end of a chapter. Don't start numbers over after each chapter.
If your manuscript is a picture book, do not break it into pages with a few sentences on each, as it would appear in the finished book--just type it out as a story. The publisher along with the illustrator will decide when the page breaks occur.
Poetry should be in stanzas, as you would see it in a book. A stanza is when you group two or more lines, that are usually within a set pattern of rhyme.
Rule
Number Three
After you’ve written your masterpiece,
use the spellcheck – each and every single time you make revisions. There will be spelling errors, no matter how
well you spell!
