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Formatting a Picture Book Manuscript the Right Way

Emma Walton Hamilton / Uncategorized  / Formatting a Picture Book Manuscript the Right Way

Formatting a Picture Book Manuscript the Right Way

August may be quiet in the publishing world, but that’s exactly why it’s the perfect time to get your submission ducks in a row—starting with your manuscript format.

Before you submit your story to agents or editors, make sure it’s professionally formatted. A clean, industry-standard layout signals that you know the business and respect their time.

Here’s how your manuscript should be formatted to conform to industry standards:

  • 12-point Times New Roman (or another standard serif)
  • Double-spacing throughout
  • One-inch margins
  • Left-aligned text (no full justification)
  • Black font (only!)
  • Paragraphs indented
  • Quotation marks around all dialogue
  • Page numbers (for the document itself – not for 32-page picture book layout)
  • No illustrations (unless you are an author/illustrator)
  • No art notes unless absolutely essential to understand the story (more on this next week)

Tip: Save a clean “submission version” of your manuscript, separate from your working draft, so you’re not making last-minute tweaks in a rush.

Quiet months are for sharpening your tools. Make formatting one of them!

(PS – There are lots of details on formatting for specific types of manuscripts – such as script/dialogue only, rhyming verse, or dummy layout for author/illustrators – and also for formatting your query in The Complete Picture Book Submissions System.)

Emma Walton Hamilton
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Emma Walton Hamilton
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