Customer Reviews

Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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Before I even started thinking about writing (I just sent out my first manuscript a few days before writing this), I wanted to be sure I was at least as professional as possible. Writing courses are good, but there are things that writing courses don't teach (i.e. taxes or, sometimes, how better to prepare manuscripts), and usually it's the more professional points. They teach how best to write, but not how best to get published.

Luckily, there are books out there that aid in this aspect of writing, and Formatting & Submitting You Manuscripts is one of the keystone books. This book teaches every aspect of submissions, including requesting writer's guidelines, query letters, cover letters, and manuscript format. Each chapter is designated to one specific form of manuscript, i.e. novels, essays, screenplays, short stories, etc. and has full page examples of what to do along with examples of what not to do. It also has an appendix that helps in dealing with the legal side of writing, and how best to prevent plagiarism.

Though I don't like it when writing related books are large, in this case I think it's important. There is nothing more important to an editor to have a professionally printed manuscript, and many say that a good looking manuscript makes it a lot easier to choose a manuscript. The examples in this book are essential, making this a book easily referenced in case of emergencies. I recommend this to all up-and-coming writers, and when you do get it keep it as close as you do your dictionary and thesaurus.

Cynthia Laufenberg may not know it, but she's my new best friend because of her book Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript. This text is a gem and should be added to everyone's writer's bookshelf.

Ms. Laufenberg and the Editors of Writer's Digest Books provide suggestions and examples of how to format and submit just about everything a writer comes in contact with. The examples range from query letters and cover letters to the vast array of manuscript types including articles, book proposals, nonfiction and fiction books, screenplays, TV scripts, play scripts, greeting cards and poetry.

Each letter or document example includes callouts and sidebar notes that explain why certain pieces of information go where they go and helpful advice and tidbits of information.

While some of these submission formatting ideas are only suggestions (you'll want to follow the specific guidelines for each individual company, publisher, or agent you submit to), is perhaps the single most complete resource for understanding the basics of formatting and submissions.

If you add only one book to your own writer's bookshelf this year it should be Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript.

Create appropriate, notable submissions for publication, from proposals and cover letters to complete manuscripts, using Cynthia Laufenberg's Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript, an invaluable informational guide for prospective authors seeking publication. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript is a 'must' for any writer aspiring to publication. Especially valuable are the tips on common mistakes made in the usual submission, whether it be the initial query letter or the completed work.

Formatting and Submitting your manuscript is a reference book that contains information and illustrated examples on how to submit almost any manuscript that you can think of. It includes everything from greeting cards to full novels. To me this book is worth the money that you pay for it because it contains a lot of information that you would probably have to buy a lot more books to get. You can have the format for any manuscript that you may want to write at your finger tips illustrated and with a good list of what you should and should not do when you send in your manuscript. I tried to do without it for a good while, but found myself groping in the dark when it came to submitting my work, and doing queries (also included in the book). I give this book 5 stars because like it or not no writer can become recognized by the 'unique' format of his/her manuscript we all have to follow the basic rules contained in this book as well as whatever the editor may want.

Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript is perhaps one of the best books for writers on how to prepare than manuscripts for submission. Many times I have been asked by fellow writers how to format pages to a novel manuscript and I tell them about this book. It covers everything from query letters, cover letters, proposal packages and manuscript pages to formatting an SASP or self-addressed stamped postcard. It also touches on front matter such as prefaces, dedications and epigraphs. This is a great addition to any writer's library.

This instructional book on formatting a manuscript by Cynthia Laufenberg is an useful reference for any writer composing a piece, either manually or electronically on a computer. It gives examples which are clear, comtemporary and concise. Instructions are easy to follow. I purchased this book with a reference from a professional editor. It helped me in reformatting one of my writings to meet a specific guideline requirement.
This is an useful book to keep.

While not an exciting read, Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript provides a fundamental resource for preparing your manuscript for submission. It's filled with instructions on how to submit various items a writer many wish to submit for consideration for publication including articles, short stories, poetry, and novels. In addition, the book includes examples of correctly and incorrectly prepared submission. Some of the incorrectly prepared submissions are quite funny. Laufenberg provides an instructional manual that helps the writer with the mundane chore of preparing submissions. Let's face it manuscript submission preparation isn't nearly as fun as writing! Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript guides writers to create professional submissions thereby increasing chances of publication.

I have not read from covereth to covereth in this book, and that is part of the beauty of it. If you are a visual and tactile type learner; such as myself; this is a very useful book. Not only does it explain very clearly how you are to write your proposal (they have other things too) it also gives you a visual example to look at. So when it may be sometimes be confusing (in some other books) to try to figure out visually how to create what is written, this book clears the air on that and has easy steps to follow and matching visuals. I give it two thumbs up. Check it out and see what you think. :)

I bought this for my brother who is writing a non-fiction book on WWII and the Marshall Islands and needed some basics. This did a terrific job of providing him with what he needed to be able to submit his manuscript correctly and learn about the business.

This is a practical book that will show you how every kind of manuscript should look. It's a good reference book to add to your writing library.