The Writer's Digest Guide to Manuscript Formats [Hardcover]

Dian Dincin Buchman (Author), Seli Groves (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 198 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books (January 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898792932
• ISBN-13: 978-0898792935
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,091,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Reference, although a little outdated., August 14, 2002

By 

chemikalguy "chemikalguy" (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Writer's Digest Guide to Manuscript Formats (Hardcover)

I purchased this book in late 1999, as it was one of the only guides to formatting manuscripts and other writer-related documents I was able to find.
Since then, I've found several others, but not many that were better. The only other book I like as much (okay, maybe a little better) is Jack Neff's book, Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript. One of the reasons I like it better is that it's newer, and follows some of the changes that have occurred in the publishing industry since this title was written in 1988.
I have used it as my primary reference when writing my novel manuscripts, as well as my query letters, although I've used several other books for them.
If you can get this book used, and save a little $ off the cover price, by all means do it, but if you can't I would recommend Jack Neff's book since, like I said, it's newer and covers the current requirements publishers and agents have.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable reference book for any author, February 10, 2000

By 

Thomas Moser (Burbank, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Writer's Digest Guide to Manuscript Formats (Hardcover)

This is a great book for any writer. From poetry, novels, or screenplays to query letters, this book addresses almost any writing format you can think of with clear and illustrated examples. While the advice sections, such as how to write a query letter, are a little weak, the formatting sections are invaluable. I pick this book up often.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but not entirely correct, July 14, 2001

By 

Ian Glavine (Springdale, Newfoundland Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Writer's Digest Guide to Manuscript Formats (Hardcover)

Most formats are correct, however screenwriters get short shrift, the chapter on feature film scripts is woefully incorrect. It says a screenwriter should use scene numbers and cont'd's, which to anyone besides an out and out neophyte, is totally WRONG. The sections on short forms and novel length manuscripts is spot on. Altogether, an excellant guide to manuscript formatting for fiction and non-fiction formats but screenwriters are advised to look elsewhere.