• Please use 12 point Times Roman, single-spaced. Do not use any other font* or any other size. Even for chapter headings. Or notes. Ever.

• Use only one space between sentences.

• DO NOT apply Word formats of any kind. (I.e. Heading1, Heading 2, Chapter Heading, etc.)

• DO NOT add extra line spaces between paragraphs.

• DO NOT use the spacer bar to create indents at the start of paragraphs. Instead, set your paragraph indentation format to: Special > First line > By 0.5".

• If you absolutely must have an asterisk break between sections – which WILL be replaced by a type ornament in the completed layout – three is sufficient.

• Using poetry? Put one line space before and one line space after the poem. Center it, making sure there are NO indents whatever.

• One exclamation point at the end of a sentence is plenty.

• Do not send anything that is all in caps. Just don’t.

• Please do not use characters meant for computer programming as punctuation. Don’t use them at all unless you’re writing a book about computer programming.

• Use the spelling checker before you send out your manuscript. At least twice. Even if you don’t think you need it. Probably especially if you think you don’t need it.

• After you use the spelling checker, double proof your work if at all possible. To double proof your work, make two copies of the manuscript. Find a friend or other willing victim. One person reads out loud while the other makes corrections on his/her copy. Fix and repeat until no errors exist.

• Save your work as a Word document. That means it should have ".doc" at the end of the filename. Make your filename meaningful and avoid weird characters or blank spaces. For example, the filename "my story `~" is a very bad filename. In contrast, "JoeGreen_MyLifeAsAComposer.doc" is a very good filename.

* The next person who sends me a manuscript set in Klingon will be subject to arrest and prosecution.

by Carol Pentleton