Do you need a finished manuscript to get an agent?
Please do not attempt to find a literary agent until you’ve finished writing your book. You’d be surprised how many writers send out a query with an incomplete manuscript and a bucket full of dreams. Many agents will ask for a sample from your manuscript.
Is a manuscript a finished book?
A manuscript is the text of your novel (or work of nonfiction), before that text has been turned into the finished book. When I sent my first manuscript out to literary agents, the damn thing ran to more than 180,000 words and it was enormous. Over 600 pages of printed paper, as I recall.
What should you do before submitting your manuscript?
The best way to make the manuscript preparation, submission, and review process a little easier is to be prepared.
- Polish your manuscript.
- Do background research.
- Network within your genre.
- Develop a strategy for contacting potential agents.
- Send query letters.
- Send manuscripts.
How long does a manuscript have to be?
The perfect book length rests somewhere between 80,000 to 100,000 words. That translates to about 200 pages.
How do you complete a manuscript?
Manuscript Formatting Guidelines
- Use 12-point type.
- Use a serif font; the most common choice is Times Roman.
- Double space your manuscript.
- No extra space between paragraphs.
- Only one space between sentences.
- Indent each paragraph half an inch (setting a tab, not using several spaces)
What do you do with a finished manuscript?
What to do After You Finish the First Draft of Your Book
- Let it rest. This part can be the most difficult.
- Read it all the way through, once.
- Revise.
- Read it through again — out loud.
- Make any final revisions.
- Write a synopsis.
- Write a query letter.
- Figure out who to send the query letter to and go out on submission.