Should I submit my novel as a PDF or a Word document?

For querying literary agents and most traditional publishers, the answer is almost always Microsoft Word (.docx) — agents edit, comment, and track changes in Word, and a PDF blocks that workflow. Send a PDF only when the submission guidelines explicitly ask for one, or in these specific cases: writing-contest portals that require PDF upload, design proofs and print-ready files for self-publishing, beta-reader distribution where you want the layout locked, and any situation where preserving exact pagination matters. The cardinal rule overrides everything: read the agent or publisher submission guidelines and send exactly the format requested. Sending PDF when .docx was asked for is a small but real reason manuscripts get set aside.

What font and spacing does standard manuscript format require?

12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, is the modern default and is accepted everywhere. Courier (or Courier New) at 12 point is the older convention rooted in typewriter-era manuscript format and is still welcomed, particularly in science fiction and fantasy circles where the monospaced font makes word-count estimation by page reliable. Either is safe. What is not safe: decorative fonts, single spacing, 1.5 spacing, or anything smaller than 12 point. Double spacing exists so an editor can write between your lines; do not remove it to make the page count look shorter.

Italics or underline for emphasis and titles?

Modern practice — and most current agent guidelines — accepts real italics for emphasis, internal thought, and titles. The older typewriter convention, codified in William Shunn’s widely circulated standard-manuscript-format guide, used underlining to represent italics because typewriters could not set italic type. A few traditional markets and some contests still prefer underline. The practical answer: use italics unless the specific guidelines say underline, and never mix the two in one manuscript. If you export to PDF, italics survive the conversion cleanly as long as the font is embedded, which is one reason PDF export is less error-prone than it sounds.

Do I need a title page, and what goes on it?

Yes. The first page of a manuscript is a title page that carries your legal name and contact details (email, phone, mailing address) in the top-left, and the approximate word count in the top-right, rounded — to the nearest 1,000 words for short fiction and the nearest 5,000 (or even 10,000) words for a novel. The title and your byline (the name you write under, if different from your legal name) sit centered about a third of the way down. The title page does not carry the running header, and page numbering generally starts on the first page of actual text rather than the title page.

How do I show a scene break in a PDF manuscript?

Center a single # (hash) or * (asterisk) on its own line, with a blank line above and below it. Do not rely on a blank line alone to signal a scene break: when the break happens to fall at the bottom of a page, the reader cannot tell whether there was intentional white space or just the page ending. The centered symbol is unambiguous and survives reflow. For a chapter break, start the new chapter on a fresh page (a page break, not a stack of blank lines) with the chapter heading a third of the way down. These conventions matter more in PDF than in Word because PDF freezes pagination.

How do I export to PDF without breaking the formatting?

Three habits prevent almost every problem. First, embed your fonts on export — in Word, File → Save As → PDF, then Options, and tick “ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A)” or ensure “embed fonts” is on; this guarantees the reader sees Times New Roman even if they do not have it installed. Second, export from the finished .docx rather than copy-pasting into a new document, so styles carry over intact. Third, open the resulting PDF and scroll the whole thing before you send it, checking that indents, italics, scene breaks, and the running header all survived. A two-minute proof pass catches the rare conversion glitch before an agent does.

8 min read

PDF for novelists — manuscript formatting standards

By ScoutMyTool Editorial Team · Last updated: 2026-05-21

When I sent out my first novel, I spent more time agonising over the file format than I want to admit — and then promptly attached a beautifully laid-out PDF to an agent who had asked, in plain text, for a Word document. She passed without comment, and I learned that in fiction submissions the formatting rules are quietly load-bearing. Since then I have formatted manuscripts for agents, contests, and self-publishing proofs, and the standards are simpler than the anxiety around them suggests. This guide covers standard manuscript format, the one decision that actually matters — PDF or Word — and a short export workflow that survives the conversion intact.

Standard manuscript format at a glance

Element	Standard	Why it exists
Font	12 pt Times New Roman (Courier 12 pt also accepted)	Readable, predictable line counts; what editors expect to see
Line spacing	Double-spaced, no extra space between paragraphs	Room for editorial mark-up; consistent page estimates
Margins	1 inch (2.54 cm) on all four sides	Binding and annotation room; the universal default
Paragraphs	0.5 in first-line indent, no blank line between paragraphs	Indent signals new paragraph; blank lines signal scene breaks instead
Alignment	Left-aligned, ragged right (never justified)	Justification creates uneven word spacing and hides spacing errors
Running header	Surname / KEYWORD-TITLE / page number, top of every page	Keeps loose pages identifiable if a printed stack is dropped
Scene breaks	Centered # (or *) on its own line	Survives reflow; a blank line alone can vanish at a page break

When a novelist actually needs a PDF

The default delivery format for querying agents and traditional publishers is Microsoft Word (.docx), because that is what editors mark up. PDF is the right choice in a narrower set of cases: a contest or submission portal that specifically requires PDF upload; a design proof or print-ready interior file for self-publishing; a locked-layout copy for beta readers or a cover designer; and any time you need pagination to stay exactly as you set it. In all of these, the value of PDF is the same thing that makes it wrong for agents — it freezes the layout. Match the format to the recipient, and when guidelines exist, follow them to the letter.

Step by step — produce a submission-ready manuscript PDF

Set the document to standard format first. In your word processor, set 12 pt Times New Roman, double line spacing, 1-inch margins on all sides, a 0.5-inch first-line indent, and left alignment with ragged right. Remove any "space after paragraph" the default style added — manuscript format uses the indent, not blank lines, to mark paragraphs.
Add the title page and running header. Put your legal name and contact details top-left and the rounded word count top-right on page one; center the title and byline a third of the way down. Then add a running header in the format Surname / KEYWORD-TITLE / page number to every page after the title page.
Mark scene and chapter breaks correctly. Center a lone # for scene breaks; start each chapter on a fresh page using a real page break, with the chapter heading set a third of the way down. Do not simulate breaks with stacks of empty lines — they drift when the file reflows.
Export to PDF with fonts embedded. Use the word processor's native "Save as PDF" (not "Print to PDF", which can rasterise text) and confirm that font embedding is enabled, so the reader sees Times New Roman regardless of what is installed on their machine.
Proof the PDF before sending. Open the exported file and scroll through it end to end. Confirm indents, italics, scene breaks, the title page, and the running header all survived, and that no chapter starts mid-page. If you are bundling a query letter, synopsis, and sample chapters for a single upload, combine them into one clean PDF rather than sending three attachments.

The history behind the rules

Most of standard manuscript format is a fossil of the typewriter era, preserved because it still serves the people who read submissions. Double spacing left room for an editor's pencil. Courier's fixed character width let an editor estimate a page count, and therefore a printed length, by eye. Underlining stood in for italics because a typewriter had no italic type. William Shunn's standard-manuscript-format guide, circulated for decades, codified these conventions and is still the reference many writers reach for first.

The modern version relaxes the typewriter-specific parts — real italics instead of underline, Times New Roman as an equal to Courier — while keeping the parts that genuinely help a reader: generous spacing, unambiguous scene breaks, identifiable pages, and a layout that does not call attention to itself. The goal has never been beauty. It is to put your prose in front of a professional reader in the least distracting way possible, so the story is the only thing they have to think about.

FAQ

Should I submit my novel as a PDF or a Word document?: For querying literary agents and most traditional publishers, the answer is almost always Microsoft Word (.docx) — agents edit, comment, and track changes in Word, and a PDF blocks that workflow. Send a PDF only when the submission guidelines explicitly ask for one, or in these specific cases: writing-contest portals that require PDF upload, design proofs and print-ready files for self-publishing, beta-reader distribution where you want the layout locked, and any situation where preserving exact pagination matters. The cardinal rule overrides everything: read the agent or publisher submission guidelines and send exactly the format requested. Sending PDF when .docx was asked for is a small but real reason manuscripts get set aside.
What font and spacing does standard manuscript format require?: 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, is the modern default and is accepted everywhere. Courier (or Courier New) at 12 point is the older convention rooted in typewriter-era manuscript format and is still welcomed, particularly in science fiction and fantasy circles where the monospaced font makes word-count estimation by page reliable. Either is safe. What is not safe: decorative fonts, single spacing, 1.5 spacing, or anything smaller than 12 point. Double spacing exists so an editor can write between your lines; do not remove it to make the page count look shorter.
Italics or underline for emphasis and titles?: Modern practice — and most current agent guidelines — accepts real italics for emphasis, internal thought, and titles. The older typewriter convention, codified in William Shunn’s widely circulated standard-manuscript-format guide, used underlining to represent italics because typewriters could not set italic type. A few traditional markets and some contests still prefer underline. The practical answer: use italics unless the specific guidelines say underline, and never mix the two in one manuscript. If you export to PDF, italics survive the conversion cleanly as long as the font is embedded, which is one reason PDF export is less error-prone than it sounds.
Do I need a title page, and what goes on it?: Yes. The first page of a manuscript is a title page that carries your legal name and contact details (email, phone, mailing address) in the top-left, and the approximate word count in the top-right, rounded — to the nearest 1,000 words for short fiction and the nearest 5,000 (or even 10,000) words for a novel. The title and your byline (the name you write under, if different from your legal name) sit centered about a third of the way down. The title page does not carry the running header, and page numbering generally starts on the first page of actual text rather than the title page.
How do I show a scene break in a PDF manuscript?: Center a single # (hash) or * (asterisk) on its own line, with a blank line above and below it. Do not rely on a blank line alone to signal a scene break: when the break happens to fall at the bottom of a page, the reader cannot tell whether there was intentional white space or just the page ending. The centered symbol is unambiguous and survives reflow. For a chapter break, start the new chapter on a fresh page (a page break, not a stack of blank lines) with the chapter heading a third of the way down. These conventions matter more in PDF than in Word because PDF freezes pagination.
How do I export to PDF without breaking the formatting?: Three habits prevent almost every problem. First, embed your fonts on export — in Word, File → Save As → PDF, then Options, and tick “ISO 19005-1 compliant (PDF/A)” or ensure “embed fonts” is on; this guarantees the reader sees Times New Roman even if they do not have it installed. Second, export from the finished .docx rather than copy-pasting into a new document, so styles carry over intact. Third, open the resulting PDF and scroll the whole thing before you send it, checking that indents, italics, scene breaks, and the running header all survived. A two-minute proof pass catches the rare conversion glitch before an agent does.

Citations

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