Writing Tips
Freelance writing: Editing and formatting a magazine article
Abstract:
One common question asked by new freelance writers is how to format a magazine, article or short story submission when the publication/publisher has not posted any submission guidelines. It’s very important that if the publisher had posted submission guidelines, you follow them.
One common question asked by new freelance writers is how to format a magazine, article or short story submission when the publication/publisher has not posted any submission guidelines. It’s very important that if the publisher had posted submission guidelines, writers should always follow those submission guidelines to the letter.
However, often publications leave the formatting and style up to the writers, assuming the writer will follow standard submission guidelines.
First, let me set your mind at ease. Generally speaking, most places won’t reject solid, quality writing based solely on the formatting. Adhering to the posted submission guidelines, however, gives the writer and their writing an additional bonus when the editor reviews the writing.
It’s also important to note that a writer should not contact the publication to ask how to format a submission. Publications and publishers are inundated with submissions, so they sure don’t want to waste their time answering a question that a professional writer should know.
What are industry-standard submission guidelines?
The best way to identify yourself on your manuscript and format it for submission when there are no printed submission guidelines is as follows:
In the top left-hand corner in this format put your:
Real Name (NOT your pen name or byline)
Address
City, State, Zip, etc.
(phone) phone
email
Website (if you have a professional author/writer site only – do not put blog sites)
Then center on the page four spaces down for articles, shorts and poems, halfway down the page for longer shorts and novellas, and put the title of the writing in ALL CAPS. Two enters down and type just like this (remember to center it):
TITLE
by Pen Name
DO NOT capitalize the BY and do not put the BY on its own line. You can bold the title if you want, but don’t use any other fancy fonts.
Next, for an article, short or poem, double-space (two enters if single-spaced), and start the body of the writing. All manuscripts, whether shorts, articles, novels, should be double spaced throughout, except for poetry. With poetry, sometimes line spacing and ‘look’ of the poem printed is part of the imagery of the poem, so single spacing should be used, unless the publisher specifically requests otherwise.
On the second and any subsequent pages of the manuscript submission, in the HEADER, and the right-hand side of the page, put your REAL LAST NAME, one or two keywords from your title (unless the title is only two words, then use both, and then the page number.
Last, Title, 2
(Remember, this goes on the RIGHT header side of the page. )
The reason you do your real name is because that’s who the check is being made out to and that’s how the ‘file’ on you will usually be set up. The reason you put it on the right-hand side is in case the editor/publisher/publication uses clips on the left-hand side to keep the manuscript together. If they do, the identifying info is not covered up by the clip.
DO NOT put a header on the title page, only on the second or any subsequent pages.
The video will show you how in MS Word to set headers on only the second page and not the first page in one document so you do not have to set a separate document for your title page.
Then, the most important part of it all is to make sure your manuscript is properly proofed and edited prior to submission. Once you have completed all of this, you would then either print or attach to an email, and submit through the publisher or publication’s posted means to submit. For some, that will be via email. Be sure to check whether or not they accept attachments. Some publications prefer submissions be in the body of an email.
Other publishers will require you to print the manuscript on decent quality and crisp, clean, unfolded and unclipped or stapled paper. Never clip or staple your manuscripts, and whenever possible, mail them in flat envelopes so your submission doesn’t have to be folded.
Best of luck with your submissions and your quest for publication!
