The Krista Goering Literary Agency

From Krista Goering

Imagine just how many submissions an agent receives in a week. Now imagine that only six out of ten of them are properly formatted.

Like most agents I eagerly solicit nonfiction proposals. Why? Well, for me it's because I'm a huge reader of nonfiction books.

Since I started building my agency a few months ago, I have read a lot of submissions. Each time I open an envelope with sample pages I get excited. Who knows? The next thing I read may be my favorite manuscript of all time.

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Formatting Your Manuscript

Imagine just how many submissions an agent receives in a week. Now imagine that only about six out of ten of them are properly formatted. What happens to the submissions that look different at first glance? They are easily discounted and may not get the attention they deserve.

It's pretty easy to format correctly, so why not give yourself the edge on the competition.

1. Use 12 point Times New Roman or Courier New fonts.

2. Set one inch margins.

3. Double space between lines. (In Microsoft Word go to Format, then to Paragraph, then to Line Spacing. Click on Double, not 1.5). Do not insert additional space between paragraphs.

4. Put a hard page break at the end of each chapter. (In Microsoft Word go to Insert, then Break, then Page Break.)

5. Start a new chapter in the middle of the page. Indicate the beginning of a new chapter with chapter headings (Chapter One, etc.)

6. Put your title and your last name in the header on each page. (In Microsoft Word go to View, then to Header and Footer.)

7. Insert page numbers. (You can easily insert page numbers within the header. See #6.)

8. Include all of your contact information on the title page.

9. Print on one side only.

10. Don't bind or staple your manuscript. At most use rubber bands before packaging.

If you would like to know that your manuscript arrived in our office, please use a delivery confirmation service provided by the US postal service or UPS.

Include a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) if you would like to receive a letter from us. If you prefer to hear from us by email make sure to give us your correctly spelled email address.

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