Sending Manuscripts
Mechanics & Costs


Format: your manuscript must follow the standard publishing industry formating guides below—might as well do it now, you'll have to sooner or later when you submit it to an editor or agent.
  • Double space text . This is the industry standard;
  • Indent (tab) each paragraph five spaces; see the tutorial on how to format with Word 2000;
  • No extra line space between paragraphs except to show time or location transitions;
  • Set all margins for one inch;
  • Justify left margin only, leave right margin "ragged." (this is the default setting for most word processors);
  • Use 12-point font size in Courier or Courier New (publishers prefer Courier);
  • Print only on one side of the paper;
  • Number all pages consecutively, top right side of page;
  • Include name/title in header.

Formatting with
Word 2000
Click here for a tutorial
 
To download an example of properly formatted manuscript pages, click here.

To send your sample or manuscript:

  • attach the document to an email addressed to ray@editorrr.com
  • mail a disk containing your file. If you work on a Macintosh computer, either make your disk "PC compatible" or avoid the hassle by using email
  • in your cover letter or email, tell me:

          a. what word processor you use
          b. length of manuscript if completed
          c. whether you are interested in editing,
              instruction, or both

SASE! Please send a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage for the return of your disk. Or we can supply one when the job is done, at cost to you.

Contracts
When & What

Before work can begin, you will need to sign and return our contract. The contract spells out payment terms, services to be rendered and in what form, charges for editorial or instructional fees and other costs. In the contract you will verify that the material you are submitting for editing is owned by you, and the contract guarantees that all rights remain with you, including suggested content changes made by editorrr.com that you choose to adopt.

Payment
When & How

When: an initial payment is due when the contract is signed and returned to editorrr.com. Payment must be made before work begins. I require a 50% payment up front for contracts over $300, full payment for contracts under $300, unless we agree to another payment arrangement. When the project is completed, I mail the annotated manuscript and detailed critique letter to you after receiving payment of the remaining balance.

Payment options:

  • personal checks
  • money orders
  • PayPal for credit cards

 
To use PayPal: Click on the Pay Here button to use the PayPal service. It takes about the same time as ordinary online credit card purchases, and is a secure system. Once a member, you can use PayPal for sending payments or funds to both individuals or companies. As a member of the PayPal system, you could receive five bucks whenever you use the system in a way that results in a new member for the system.

Note: you will see active PayPal buttons in my Store for buying the "rejection" cartoon t-shirt. Those buttons are dedicated to t-shirt purchase and cannot be used for payment of editorial fees.

Payment Plan: if you need to space out your payments, we can arrange for three or four installments over the duration of the editing, which is ordinarily about two to four weeks.