The first time I submitted a short story, I spent a week on the prose and about four minutes on the layout. It came back with a form rejection. Later, an editor friend told me something I have never forgotten. She said she can tell in five seconds whether a writer is a professional. She knows it before she reads a single sentence. She knows it from the format.
Standard manuscript format is the plain, boring, universal way you present a story for submission. It exists so editors can read hundreds of stories without fighting anyone's fonts and colors. Get it right, and your work looks like it belongs. Get it wrong, and you signal 'beginner' before your story gets a fair read.
This guide covers every rule, how to build the first page, how to set it all up in Google Docs or Word, and the mistakes that get manuscripts skimmed instead of read.
What Is Standard Manuscript Format?
Standard manuscript format is a set of shared conventions for laying out fiction you plan to submit. The version most editors expect traces back to William Shunn's 'Proper Manuscript Format,' which became the default across the industry. The goal is not to look pretty. The goal is to be clean, consistent, and easy to read on paper or on screen.
One rule sits above all the others: if the market you are submitting to publishes its own guidelines, follow those, even when they contradict this guide. A magazine's submission page always wins. Standard format is what you use when no other instructions exist, and it is the safe default that will never look wrong.
Why Formatting Matters for Submissions
Editors read on volume. A single magazine can get thousands of submissions a year, often screened by tired first readers. A clean format does two things for you.
It signals you are a professional. The correct format tells the reader you have done this before. It also shows that you respect their time. That buys goodwill before the story starts.
It removes friction. No squinting at tiny fonts, no hunting for your name, no guessing the word count. The reader spends their attention on your story instead of your layout.
Bad format seldom gets a story rejected on its own. But it stacks the deck against you, and in a stack that deep, you do not want anything working against you.
Short Story Manuscript Format: The Rules
Here is the full checklist. None of it is hard. It is just specific.
Font and spacing
Font: 12-point Times New Roman. It is the accepted default. Some markets accept Courier; almost all accept Times New Roman.
Spacing: double-spaced throughout. No single spacing, no 1.5.
Alignment: left-aligned, not justified. The ragged right edge is correct.
One space after periods, not two.
Margins and page setup
Margins: one inch on all four sides.
Paper size: US Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) for US markets, A4 for many outside the US.
Color: black text on a white background. Nothing else.
The first page
The first page carries all your contact and identifying information, so no cover page is needed for a short story. Set it up like this:
Top-left corner: your legal name, address, email, and phone number, single-spaced.
Top-right corner: the approximate word count, rounded to the nearest hundred (for example, 'About 3,500 words').
About one-third down the page: the title, centered. Below it, 'by' and your name or pen name.
Then the story begins, a couple of lines below the byline.
The running header
Every page after the first needs a header in the top-right corner: your last name, a keyword from the title, and the page number. For example, 'Fechter / Nightfall / 4'. This keeps loose pages findable if a manuscript is ever printed and dropped.
Paragraphs and scene breaks
Indent the first line of every paragraph by half an inch, using the ruler or paragraph settings, not the space bar or the tab key.
No extra blank line between paragraphs. The indent alone marks a new paragraph.
Scene breaks: center a single '#' on its own line to mark a jump in time or place. Some writers use three centered asterisks. One '#' is the safest.
The ending and the file
Mark the end: center 'The End' a line or two below your last paragraph.
File type: submit a .doc or .docx file unless the market asks for something else. Keep the title clear, like 'Fechter_Nightfall.docx'.
How to Set It Up in Google Docs or Word
You do not need special software. Both Google Docs and Microsoft Word do everything above. The steps are pretty much identical.
Set the font to Times New Roman, 12-point, before you type anything.
Set line spacing to Double under the line-spacing menu.
Check margins: File, then Page setup in Google Docs, or the Layout tab in Word. Set all four to one inch.
Set the paragraph indent: open the paragraph or indentation settings and set a first-line indent of 0.5 inches. Do not indent with the space bar.
Insert a header: use Insert, then Header, and set it to your last name, title keyword, and auto page number. Tell it to skip the header on the first page.
Export to .docx when you are done, or download as Word from Google Docs.
If you write in a dedicated tool, most will export a clean manuscript for you, which saves the fiddly setup every time. That same convenience matters even more at book length, which I cover in how to self-publish.
Common Formatting Mistakes to Avoid
Fancy fonts or colors. Editors want plain and readable, not designed. Save the styling for the printed book.
Justified text. Left-aligned only. Justification creates ugly gaps and is not standard.
Indenting with the space bar or tab key. Use the ruler or paragraph settings so indents stay consistent.
Extra blank lines between paragraphs. That is web and business formatting, not manuscript formatting.
Forgetting the word count or contact info. Editors need both up front. Leaving them off looks careless.
Ignoring the market's own guidelines. The single most common (and expensive) mistake. Read the submission page and do what it says.
Before You Submit: A Quick Checklist
12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, left-aligned.
One-inch margins on all sides.
Contact info top-left, word count top-right on page one.
Title and byline centered about a third down page one.
Running header (last name, title, page number) on every page after the first.
Half-inch first-line indents, no extra space between paragraphs.
'#' for scene breaks, 'The End' at the close.
Saved as a clearly named .doc or .docx.
Every instruction on the market's submission page was followed to a T.
Final Thoughts
Format is the easy part of submitting, which is why you should never lose points on it. Set up a clean template once, save it, and reuse it for every story. Then put your energy where it counts, into writing a story worth reading. If you are still building that story, start with how to write a short story and the craft guides below.
Related Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most frequently asked questions about formatting a short story.
What font should a short story manuscript use?
12-point Times New Roman is the accepted standard. Some markets also accept Courier. Use black text on a white background, and always check the specific market's guidelines first.
Should a short story manuscript be double-spaced?
Yes. Standard manuscript format is double-spaced throughout, with left-aligned text, one-inch margins, and a half-inch first-line indent on each paragraph.
Do I need a title page for a short story?
No. For a short story, your contact information and title go on the first page of the manuscript itself. Contact details sit in the top-left, the word count in the top-right, and the centered title and byline sit about a third of the way down the page.
How do I mark a scene break in a manuscript?
Center a single '#' on its own line where the scene changes. Some writers use three centered asterisks. A single '#' is the safest and most understood choice.
What file format should I submit?
Submit a .doc or .docx file unless the market requests something else, such as an RTF or a pasted plain-text submission. Name the file clearly with your last name and the story title.