#MANUSCRIPT SHEETS SERIAL#
#MANUSCRIPT SHEETS SERIES#
#MANUSCRIPT SHEETS DOWNLOAD#

It reduces the number of questions I’ll have about why you chose to format something how you did or why you spelled a word a specific way. It’s extremely helpful for an editor to receive a style sheet from an author.

#MANUSCRIPT SHEETS SERIES#

Having a style sheet for every manuscript, or even the series as a whole, allows you to keep things uniform from one book to the next. This is especially critical if you’re writing a series. or US)? It’s important to stay consistent because readers will pick up on errors, and it’s often difficult to remember everything you’ve already written. Was the main character’s cousin’s name spelled Elizabeth or Elisabeth earlier in the book? Should acronyms be punctuated with periods or not (U.S. Instead of having information scattered around on different bits of paper (or not at all), write it all in your style sheet as an easy way to look back on key plot points, spellings, or character names. Here are some ways in which a style sheet can be beneficial. Whatever your method, it may be helpful to create a style sheet as a reference for yourself and for your editor. And others may keep everything in their head. Some jot down only the major plot points to keep them on track. Some meticulously sort every detail into a spreadsheet. Writers have different methods of keeping track of information relevant to their manuscripts. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING A STYLE SHEET?

Feel free to customize it to fit your needs.

#MANUSCRIPT SHEETS DOWNLOAD#

If you’d like to see what one looks like, click on the graphic at the end of this post to download a free template I created in Microsoft Word. It can be done with pen and paper or electronically. There is no right or wrong way to create a style sheet, and the information contained within one is up to the user.

#MANUSCRIPT SHEETS SERIAL#

whether or not serial commas will be used (the optional comma in a series of items, such as in “apples, oranges, and bananas”).Examples of what can be listed in a style sheet include: It essentially outlines the formatting, layout, spellings, and preferences for a specific manuscript. WHAT’S A STYLE SHEET?Ī style sheet is a useful tool for writers and editors alike. Later on, I learned that what I had been doing in Notepad was creating a rudimentary style sheet. If the writer referred to the character as Sergeant Smith with no mention of a promotion, I could assume that this was a mistake in rank. For example, in a military story, I might write, “John Smith – corporal, brown hair.” It was nothing fancy, but it was helpful when I came across the character name again. As I would progress through the edit, I made note of every character name and location I came across, as well as any significant details that were important about each one. When I first started editing, I would open a new Notepad file before I began working on a new manuscript. Every writer and editor has their own working process.

Manuscript sheets