

Even though we clearly laid this out, at least 10% of submissions were sent single spaced. If you send something that’s not properly formatted, they’ll likely let out a long sigh and throw it into the rejection pile without reading your outstanding first sentence.Īt my own literary magazine, Bartleby Snopes, we automatically rejected anything that wasn’t double spaced. When the slush editor opens your file, they’ll immediately want to read your story because it’s so inviting. The standard short story format accomplishes both of these things. Whether you’re submitting to World’s Worst Stories or to Only the Best Authors Get Published in Our Pretentious Zine, you need to present your story in a format that’s easy to read and shows you’re a serious author. When they don’t, that’s when you need to use a professional short story manuscript format.

The big problem though is that most literary magazines don’t clearly outline all the rules. If you want to be published, you have to play the game according to their rules. If you don’t follow a publication’s formatting requirements, they aren’t going to publish your story because they’re never even going to read it.

The quickest way to get your short story rejected is by ignoring submission guidelines. Microsoft writing templates have you covered, whether your dream is to be published, premiered, or just more organized.Always use professional short story format You can even add your own colors and style to make them your own. You’ll find goal logging and tracking is a lot easier when you use journal templates. Look for journal templates for travel, fitness tracking, meal planning, personal growth and more. There are lots of writing templates for personal use, too. Refer to scriptwriting templates for tips on setting the scene, describing the action, and more. Using professional templates for screenplay ideas are essential for helping you break into the business. If film is your medium, get formatting help with scriptwriting templates. These templates for writing a book are editor-ready, so you can get your words out to the world. You’ll find both fiction and non-fiction templates for writing a book that help you plan and structure your stories. Ready to work on that novel you’ve been thinking about since you were young? Or to finally commit to journaling every day? Microsoft has the writing templates you need to succeed at whatever project you’re passionate about.

Writing templates are the right stuff for all your writing projects
