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To format a short story manuscript, use 1 inch (2.5cm) margins, 12 point Times New Roman font, double-
spaced lines, and half-inch (1.25cm) indents for paragraphs. At the top right of each page put a header
with your last name, story title, and page number. A title page isn’t necessary.
Below are the complete formatting rules you need to apply to your short story manuscript:
Set the margins for your manuscript to 1 inch (2.5cm) on all four sides. This is usually the default setting
in Word, but check the settings on your computer to be sure.
Use 12 point Times New Roman for the entire manuscript. Courier and Arial fonts may also be
acceptable—check the submission guidelines of the magazine or anthology.
Indent each paragraph by half an inch (1.25cm). Don’t do this by hitting the tab key; instead, set
indentation in Word using the Format → Paragraph → Section menu, or see this tutorial.
Indicate scene breaks with a blank line, and center a hash mark (#) in the center of that line.