On Writing Romance_ How to Craft a Novel That Sells - Leigh Michaels [143]
• Double-space manuscript pages, leaving inch-wide margins on all sides.
• Use fresh black ink or toner. Print quality often decreases as an inkjet cartridge runs out.
• Use one side of plain white letter-size paper. Copy-machine paper is fine. (You may submit good-quality photocopies rather than originals, as long as the type is clear, black, and easy to read.)
• Put your last name and the title (or a keyword from the title) in the top left corner of each page, and the page number in the top right corner.
• Number pages consecutively throughout the manuscript; don't start over with each chapter.
• Start each chapter on a new page, spacing down a couple of inches from the top and centering the chapter number on a line by itself.
• Whether you're sending a full manuscript or sample chapters, include a cover page with your legal name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, and the estimated word count of the manuscript.
• Leave the manuscript pages unbound. You can use rubber bands to hold the materials together inside your envelope.
• Do not place a copyright notice on the manuscript or cover page. Your story is automatically protected by copyright from the moment you write it down.
Counting Your Words
Your computer word-processing program will give you a total count of the words in your manuscript. Publishers, however, use a word-counting system that takes into account the amount of space the words will occupy on the printed page. The two counts may differ widely.
A one-word line of dialogue will occupy a full line on a published page, where ten or more words would otherwise fit, so the publisher will count that one word as if it filled an entire line. A chapter may end halfway down a published page, but the next chapter will begin on a new page, so the publisher's word count is the same as if the pages were filled.
If you've used a fixed-width font (like Courier New) and one-inch margins on all sides, multiply the total number of pages in your manuscript by 250 words per page to approximate the publisher's total count.
If you're using a proportional font (like Times New Roman), count the exact number of words in three to five representative pages of your manuscript (be sure to choose full pages), then divide by the number of pages you counted to get the average number of words per page. Multiply that average by the total number of pages in your manuscript. This result will more closely approximate the publisher's word count than your word processor's word count feature.
PREPARING TO SEND OUT YOUR SUBMISSION PACKAGE
Before mailing your submission—query letter, synopsis, sample chapters, or full manuscript—check it over one last time, looking closely at each piece. If you are sending a synopsis, have you:
• Constructed a full synopsis? (If you're sending sample chapters, your synopsis should include the full story; it should not just pick up where the manuscript sample ends.)
• Made sure character motivation is clear and plot lines are resolved? If you are sending manuscript sample chapters, have you:
• Kept your submission to the requested length?
• Sent consecutive chapters starting with chapter one?
• Included a love scene only if it's a part of your sample chapters or if it was specifically requested?
• Checked dialogue tags for inappropriate word usage (one can't grin words, for example)?
• Made sure details are consistent—that characters' names, hair colors, eye colors remain the same throughout the synopsis and sample? That time lines are accurate? That behavior is logical?
• Checked for smooth, clear transitions between scenes?
Any time you submit anything to an agent or editor, make sure you:
• Look for misspellings and grammatical errors—split infinitives, dangling participles, incorrect verb tenses or word usage.
• Make sure the story is appropriate for the line you have chosen.
• Address your letter to the correct person, and check that his title and the spelling of his name are accurate.
• Include your