For writers getting ready to submit
Standard Book Manuscript Format Template
A Word file already set up the way agents expect: title page, running header, 12-point Times New Roman, double spacing and chapters on new pages.
Maren Ostby
THE SALT ARCHIVE · literary suspense · about 92,000 words
- Header
- Ostby / SALT ARCHIVE / 1
- Text
- Times New Roman, 12 pt, double spaced
- Margins
- 1 inch, with half-inch first-line indents
- Chapters
- New page, a third of the way down
- Scene breaks
- A centered #
What you'll get
A Word file already in standard manuscript format
- A title page with your rounded word count
- Header, font, spacing and indents already set
- Chapters on new pages, # scene breaks and END
Where agents differ
The small points guides disagree on
The template follows the first column. When an agent's guidelines ask for something else, follow the agent.
| Point | This template | Also asked for |
|---|---|---|
| Font | Times New Roman, 12 point | Courier New, 12 point, in William Shunn's classic format |
| Title in the header | Capitals, Surname / TITLE / 1, as in Reedsy's guide | Title case, Surname / Title / 1, as in Shunn's sample novel |
| Scene breaks | A centered # | Three spaced asterisks, which Reedsy also accepts |
| Word count | Rounded to the nearest thousand, as Reedsy advises | Rounded to the nearest hundred, or 500 for longer books, as Shunn advises |
| The last line | END, centered | THE END |
| Sample pages | Pasted into the email under your query, with no attachments, as many agents on Poets & Writers ask | Pasted into an online query form, which may turn them into block paragraphs |
Checked October 2026.
Before and after
Your pages in. A manuscript file out.
Maren Ostby, maren.ostby@example.com. THE SALT ARCHIVE, literary suspense, about 92,000 words. Chapter 1 The flood came up through the floor of the city archive on a Tuesday, and by Thursday Ines had stopped noticing the smell. * * * Her brother called at midnight...
Title page: Maren Ostby and her email at the top left, about 92,000 words at the top right. THE SALT ARCHIVE, by Maren Ostby, literary suspense, centered below. Every later page: Ostby / SALT ARCHIVE / 1 in the header. CHAPTER ONE opens a third of the way down a new page. The tabs and blank lines are gone, and the asterisks are a centered #. Every word is as you wrote it. Saved as SALT ARCHIVE - Ostby.docx.
River changes the layout, never your words. Contact lines you didn't give stay as placeholders.
Why it works
What is standard manuscript format?
Standard manuscript format is the plain layout agents and editors expect when you send a novel or memoir. It means 12-point Times New Roman, double spacing, one-inch margins and a half-inch indent on the first line of each paragraph. A title page gives your contact details, title, genre and rounded word count. Every page after it carries a header reading Surname / TITLE / page number, and each chapter starts on a new page about a third of the way down. This template is a Word file with all of that already set.
There is no single official rulebook, so guides differ on small points. William Shunn's guide accepts Times New Roman or Courier New and rounds the word count to the nearest hundred. Reedsy's guide rounds to the nearest thousand and puts the title in capitals in the header. The template follows the common choices, and a short table beside it lists where agents differ, so you can match each one. An agent's own guidelines always come first.
Download the file free, or open it in River and paste your title page details or opening chapters. River sets them in the format, keeps every word as you wrote it, and saves a Word file you can attach. Many agents want sample pages pasted into an email or an online form, which strips most of the layout. So the format matters most when an agent asks for a partial or the full manuscript, covered in how to get a literary agent. Write the letter that goes with it in the query letter template.
What lands in your doc
What's inside the manuscript template
- A ready title page
Contact details at the top left, word count at the top right, then title, byline and genre centered. - A running header
Surname / TITLE / page number on every page but the title page, starting at page 1 with chapter one. - Text set for agents
12-point Times New Roman, double spaced, one-inch margins and half-inch first-line indents. - A Chapter Heading style
One click in Word starts a chapter on a new page, about a third of the way down. - Scene breaks and END
A centered # between scenes, and END after the last line of the book. - Where agents differ
Font, header, scene breaks, word count rounding and how to send pages, with who asks for what. - A check before you send
Nine checks in a second file, from the agent's guidelines to tracked changes and the file name.
How it works
From draft to manuscript file
Download or open it
Get the Word file free with no account, or click Edit with AI to open the same template in River.
Paste your pages
Optional. Paste your opening chapters or your title page details. For the whole book, add your manuscript file once it opens.
Get your manuscript file
River fills the title page and header, sets chapters and scene breaks, counts the words and saves a Word file.
Check it and send
Run the checklist against each agent's guidelines, then send exactly the pages and format they ask for.
Questions authors ask
Common questions
What is standard manuscript format?
It is the layout agents, editors and publishers expect for a book or story under submission. That means 12-point Times New Roman, double spacing, one-inch margins, half-inch first-line indents, a title page, and a Surname / TITLE / page header. It is a working copy for reading and editing, not the look of a finished, printed book.
How do I format a manuscript in Word?
Start from this template so the settings are already in place. Copy each chapter from your draft and paste it with Paste, then Merge Formatting, which keeps bold and italic and takes on the template's settings. Apply the Chapter Heading style to each chapter title, then fill in the title page and header.
What goes on a manuscript title page?
Your legal name, address, phone and email at the top left, and the word count, rounded, at the top right. Lower down, centered: the title in capitals, "by" and the name you write under, and the genre. Not sure your count suits your genre? See how many words are in a novel.
Do agents still want Times New Roman and double spacing?
Times New Roman at 12 point, double spaced, is the safe default in current guides from Shunn and Reedsy, and Shunn also accepts Courier New. Some agents set their own rules, such as how many pages to send and how, so read each agent's guidelines before you send and follow theirs where they differ.
Is this the format for self-publishing on Amazon?
No. Standard manuscript format is for agents and editors. A KDP paperback needs a book interior with a trim size and book margins, and KDP offers its own paperback and hardcover templates. Kindlepreneur also shares free formatting templates in exchange for an email address.
Can River put my manuscript in this format?
Yes. Paste your title page details or opening chapters, or add your manuscript file in River. It fills the title page and header, sets chapters and scene breaks, counts the words and saves a Word file. It changes the layout only, never your words, and leaves contact details you didn't give as placeholders.
Your next step
More for your book
Send pages that are easy to read
Download the Word file with every setting in place, or paste your pages and let River set them for you.