We’ve all heard the popular idiom “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but we all do it. It’s a truth that extends all the way up to book publishers. They are inundated with story submissions that run the quality spectrum, so knowing how to format your short story helps give the first impression that you know what you’re doing.
Why It’s Important To Properly Format a Short Story
Publishers appreciate a well-formatted manuscript in a recognized short story format—it shows professionalism and, perhaps more importantly, is easy on the eyes. Always use the publisher’s preferred format if one is specified, but here we’ll focus on the current standard: the William Shunn style.
Page Format
No matter what genre you’re writing, properly format your manuscript pages by following these key guidelines:
- Use clean, white paper with no patterns or embellishments.
- Choose a single standard black 12-point font, such as Times New Roman or Courier New.
- Set your margins (top, bottom, left, and right) to 1 inch.
- Make sure your paragraph indentations are 0.5 inches from the left margin.
- Use double spacing for everything, from the title to the end. Don’t include extra space between paragraphs.
- Set the justification for the story section to the left.
Content Format
Your manuscript’s content needs to follow a logical order so that it gives the reader all the information they need and flows well.
In the upper left-hand corner of the first page, give your contact information:
- Legal name
- Address
- Phone number
Below that, include any professional affiliations that the publisher will find relevant.
Round your word count to the nearest hundred and place it in the upper right-hand corner.
Write your short story title centered and about halfway down the page. Center your byline below the title (it doesn’t need to be your legal name).
Begin the text of your story after two double spaces below the byline.
Starting with the second page, include a heading in the top right corner formatted like this:
- Last name / One or two keywords from your title / Page number
Other formatting considerations include placing dialog in a new paragraph in double quotes, using an em dash (not a hyphen) to set off parentheticals, and placing a centered “#” on its own line to indicate a scene break.
Format Your Short Story So Publishers Will Read It
How you format your short story can either make or break your manuscript, but even the best format won’t save a story if the quality isn’t there.
To help you become a better short story writer, explore these resources to build your characters, hone your storytelling skills, and help your writing connect with readers on a deeper level:
👉 BUY – 27 Essential Principles of Story: Master the Secrets of Great Storytelling, from Shakespeare to South Park
👉 BUY – Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within
👉 BUY – On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Take your writing skills to the next level by trying out these strategies. Have you already used any of these resources, or do you have your own favorite writing tools? Share your experience in the comments—we’d love to hear about your progress, your short story formatting tips, and what’s worked for you!
Cara developed her writing and editing expertise by working as a teaching assistant at the college Writing Lab and assisting English as a Second Language students to improve their language skills.
Beyond her professional achievements, Cara loves reading, traveling, and directing and acting in local theatrical productions.
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