Thanks,

Karen

I am so glad that I found this blog!

I’m not an author. I’m a virtual assistant who has been given the challenge of taking a 20-year-old, 450-page novel manuscript originally typed in a word processor program and retyping it from hard copy into soft copy (in Word) so that it can be edited and published.

The original manuscript was typed in a font I don’t recognize and is also justified throughout. I know that the right should be a ragged edge, so I am formatting accordingly.

I’m following what I *think* may be the standard manuscript formatting, but the more research I do, the more options seem to appear.

I’m using Courier New, double-spaced, etc. I’m also indenting new paragraphs rather than adding an extra line between them. I’m starting new chapters on new pages and have tried to follow all the guidelines, but the one thing that I have found inconsistent is how to indicate “scene changes” within a chapter.

Some say to use one space. Some say to use two double spaces. Some say to use the pound sign (#) or asterisk (*) to denote scene changes within a chapter.

Does that really make a huge difference with most publishers? Your thoughts?

Thanks,

Karen

P.S. Also, some materials I have read indicate new chapter and new scene paragraphs should NOT be indented, but other materials indicate that they should.