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This is a blog for all the newbie writers that have been asking me questions both on the Forum and on Twitter.

Basic Format:

1. Professional presentation of your manuscript is important. Editors see thousands of manuscripts in a year’s time. Do not, repeat, do not try to stand out by choosing bright paper or colored script, or Gods forbid a nonstandard type face. No Gothic scripts, or swirling lettering, please. You may get noticed but not in a good way. It just gets you a faster trip to the waste basket or tucked back in your SASE and sent back home.

2. Anyone who didn’t know what an SASE is, shame on you. Do your homework. Self-addressed-stamped-envelope. It means when you send your literary child out in the cold cruel world you tuck an SASE in with it so that if it doesn’t sell to that magazine or anthology the stories chances of coming back to you are increased ten-fold, or more. I know editors that will throw away a manuscript unread if it comes in without a SASE inside the first envelope. It marks you as an amateur and editors don’t have time, or desire to deal with amateurs. Even if you are one, you need to look and sound like you know what you’re doing.

3. At the top of the page in far right corner put a header that looks something like this: L. Hamilton/New Story/1 all other pages have the same header except for the page number which should change, if it doesn’t you’ve done the header incorrectly do not send a manuscript out with every page numbered as 1. You think I’m joking; I am not. Choose just one keyword from the story title, or two if you think it’s necessary. If your title is more than two brief words long never, ever put all of it in the header. It makes the header huge and distracts the eye from the story. By the by, make sure it’s your initial and last name, not mine. Again, you think I’m joking, but I’m not. Some people are even more literal than I am which is saying something. Everything I put in this blog is interesting choices that I’ve seen personally, or heard from editors, that beginning writers have actually done.

Why a header at all? Envision the editor’s desk piled high with manuscripts. What if there is a paper avalanche and the pages of several stories get made into a heap on the floor? If you don’t have a header with your name and part of the title in it, how will the editor separate all of it? If all the pages say only page such and such, then the editor, or her assistant would have to go through all the pages and try to sort them by writing style. Trust me, not happening, it can all go into the trash together. The editor is not heartless, the editor is swamped. They do the best they can, but if you make their jobs harder then they will not want to work with you. Period.

4. Your full name and address should go at the top of the first page, but not in the header. You want them to be able to find you so they can buy your story, right? By the time they decide to buy it your original envelope may be long gone, and even if you put a SASE in with your story, it too, may have gotten lost. It happens, make sure if the editor wants to buy your story they can find you to do that. I have had editors tell me stories, and even in one case a whole book, that had no address on the manuscript and they could not find the writer to give them the good news, thus they couldn’t buy the story, or book.

5. Double-space; always double-space.

Everything I have just told you can be found in your local library in the reference section. As can a copy of the current Writer’s Market, and back issues of "The Writer" and "Writer’s Digest".

6. The above brings me to this nugget of wisdom. Research your markets. Find out what kind of stories a magazine, or a publishing house buys, before you send them your story, or book. Example; do not send your swash-buckling far future space opera to a magazine that only buys horror stories. Writer’s Market will have the editor you need to address your envelope to, and what their needs are, now by the time Writer’s Market is published their needs may have changed. There is nothing you can do about that except check on-line and see if they have different requirements on-line. If so, they maybe more up to date because it’s easier to up date on-line then in an already printed book. On-line may even tell you if an editor has moved on, though no new editor will hold it against a writer if the name on the envelope is their predecessor. If the name is three editors ago, they may hold that against you because it shows a lack of work on your part. Exception to this rule is if there has been a really fast change-over and you had no way of keeping up. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. So chill, they won’t blame you for not keeping up with a harsh game of musical chairs.

7. Cover letters: do you need one? I always found them really problematic. I mean, all you really need is a brief message telling them this is your story/book, you hope they buy it, and you thank them for their time and attention. All of that seems pretty self-evident. My habit was to put one in a book manuscript but not in a short story. The exception to this rule is if you are uniquely qualified to write this piece. Example; you write hard science fiction and you really are a rocket scientist. By all means put that in a brief letter with your manuscript. Need another example; if it’s a mystery story and you are a career cop, or a coroner, say so. It will may make an editor put you in the second look pile just because of your background.

Do not lie about your background to get in the second look pile. That’s tacky and eventually you will be found out. 

8. Do not make the letter more than one page. Frankly, shorter is better usually. If the cover letter is pages and pages you have just killed your story’s chances of selling. I’m sure someone on the internet can find me some example where a heartfelt letter made a cold-hearted editor buy their story. Maybe, it’s even true, but all the editors I know if the cover letter is longer than a page the manuscript even goes back in it’s SASE or in the trash if there isn’t an SASE enclosed.

9. Query letters: that letter you write to an editor or agent asking them if they will look at your story, before you send it. Go to the library or the above reference books and magazines for this one, I’ve always sucked at query letters. But if you send one, then ideally the editor writes back that they’d love to see your book/story and you mail it to them stating in the cover letter that editor, Amelia Somebody, has requested you send this, remind them they said yes, because they see thousands of manuscripts a year. Be gracious, always, and thank them for their time either way.

Remember your manuscript is your job interview. A job interview where they cannot see your baby blues, or your new tailored suit, or your great boots. Do not, ever, send a picture of yourself with a manuscript. Do not, ever, send a semi-nude or more, picture of yourself, with a manuscript. Even, and maybe especially, if you write erotica do not do this. One, it’s creepy, and two, it will get your manuscript thrown in the trash faster than you can say, bad idea. You’ve done your part and done a professional presentation now let your words stand on their own. Have faith in yourself and your work, and good luck.