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While it will not necessarily guarantee a sale, the appearance
of your manuscript will make a big difference in getting it a
thorough and open-minded reading with any publisher.
The author's name, address, and daytime phone number, as well as
the title of the book and approximate word count should appear
on the title page. Following pages should have the author's last
name and page number (Smith-12, Smith13) or a title reference
and page number (Steps-174, Steps-175) in the upper left-hand
corner. Pages should be numbered consecutively from the first to
the last page of the manuscript, not from chapter to chapter.
Manuscripts should be neatly typed, double spaced and printed on
one side of the paper only. Do not hyphenate at the end of a
line or use right-margin justification. Leave a one-inch margin
around the entire page with the exception of the first page of
each chapter. On these pages, drop the top margin down several
inches to allow space for typesetter's instructions. Use a good
grade of 81/2x 11 inch bond paper. Never use colored, onion
skin, erasable, odd-sized or ruled paper. If you are using a
dot-matrix printer, be sure to use a new ribbon.
Polish your work. Proofread it carefully for correct grammar,
spelling and any typos. The Chicago Manual of Style and Words
Into Type are standard industry references. A Christian Writer's
Manual of Style also addresses style unique to Christian
publishing. If you are in doubt, consult these books. Retype
rather than erase, x-out, or insert.
Never fold your manuscript, and don't bind or staple it in any
way. Fancy folders and binders may look nice, but they are a
hindrance to editors and unnecessarily increase your cost of
postage.
Enclose a stamped, self-addressed #10 business envelope (SASE)
with your query. Be sure to include the correct amount of
postage. If you want your manuscript or partial returned,
include a stamped, self-addressed reply device with the correct
amount of postage. Better yet, use a sturdy box (not a
collapsible shirt box) large enough to contain your flat
manuscript. The likelihood of your work arriving undamaged is
much better this way.
It is an unfortunate fact that manuscripts and artwork sometimes
do not make it to their destination intact. For this reason,
retain a complete copy of your manuscript for your files and do
not send original artwork, photographs, slides, documents or any
other type of irreplaceable material until requested by the
publisher. We recommend using a mailing service such as FedEx or
UPS which will allow packages to be tracked. Do not make
unsolicited submissions as e-mail attachments, audio cassettes,
computer disks, or video tapes in lieu of typed manuscripts
unless you know this is what the publishing house prefers and
you have prior consent. Otherwise your submission may be
discarded or returned without being considered.
You are responsible for obtaining and paying for written
permission to use artwork or quote material previously
copyrighted by another author, illustrator, publication or
syndicate. Permission is required if a quotation exceeds one
line of a song, one line of poetry, approximately 100 words of
an article, or approximately 200 words of a book. These numbers
represent total quotations from one source throughout your
manuscript.
The only Bible version in public domain is the King James
Version.
If you're serious about writing, if you want your manuscript to
be treated professionally, be professional in your submission.
Send your best.
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