Before a story or novel becomes a book, it spends time as a manuscript, and a manuscript is a working document. Editors mark it up. Publishers pass it between departments. Interior designers import it into layout software. Each of those steps goes faster when the file follows a format everyone already knows.
For fiction, that format is usually called Shunn manuscript format, or standard manuscript format. This guide explains what the format requires, how to build it in Microsoft Word with the settings that hold up through editing and layout, how story and novel manuscripts differ, and what changes between the modern and classic versions.
Free Word templates: Guy Anthony De Marco of Publication Engineering offers two free manuscript templates on his author site: a template with page headers and a template without headers. Both are RTF files that open in Word, LibreOffice, and other word processors.
What “Shunn format” means
The name comes from William Shunn, a writer who has published a guide called “Proper Manuscript Format” since the mid-1990s (shunn.net). Shunn describes the guide as “the de facto standard for a host of professional publications” (Shunn, 2020).
Shunn himself does not endorse the “Shunn format” label (Shunn, 2026). When guidelines use it, though, they mean his guide.
The main guide covers short stories and comes in a modern and a classic edition. A separate sample shows how novel manuscripts differ. The rules underneath are the same: a plain page that is easy to read, easy to mark up, and easy to convert.
The core specifications
Shunn’s formatting checklist and the modern story guide set out these requirements.
| Element | Shunn’s guidance |
|---|---|
| Page | Plain white, black text only, no decorations |
| Margins | 1 inch on all sides |
| Font | Times New Roman or Courier New, 12 point |
| Line spacing | Double |
| Paragraphs | First line indented 0.5 inch, no extra space between paragraphs |
| Alignment | Left aligned, ragged right |
| Contact information | Upper left of the first page |
| Word count | Upper right of the first page, rounded to the nearest hundred (nearest 500 for longer works) |
| Title and byline | Centered, one third to one half of the way down the first page |
| Page header | Byline surname, a keyword from the title, and the page number, upper right, every page but the first |
| Emphasis | Italics, not underlining |
| Scene breaks | A centered # on its own line |
Shunn also advises one space between sentences in the modern version, two hyphens for an em dash, and smart quotes turned on. Fancy elements such as drop caps and ornaments stay out of the manuscript entirely.
Building the file in Word
A manuscript can look correct on screen and still be built wrong. Tabs, extra spaces, and blank lines produce the same appearance as proper paragraph settings, but they behave differently once someone else opens the file. These steps use Word’s own settings so the format holds.
- Set the page. Under Layout, set margins to 1 inch on all sides and confirm the paper size your market expects.
- Set the Normal style. Modify the Normal paragraph style to 12-point Times New Roman (or Courier New), black. Set line spacing to Double and spacing before and after to 0 pt.
- Set the indent in the style. In the same style, set Indentation, Special, to First line by 0.5 inch. Shunn notes that letting the word processor handle indentation also makes things easier for the production team. Do not indent with the Tab key or the spacebar.
- Set alignment. Choose Align Left. Leave the right edge ragged.
- Build the first page. Type the contact block at the top left and the word count at the top right. Move down a third to half of the page, center the title, double-space once, and center the byline. Double-space twice more and begin the text.
- Add the header. Insert a header on page two, align it right, type your surname and a title keyword separated by slashes, add a page number field, and check Different First Page so it does not appear on page one.
- Mark scene breaks. Center a single # on its own line wherever the scene changes.
- Check the details. Use italics for emphasis, type two hyphens for a dash, and confirm smart quotes are on. If the file is in Courier, consider turning off the autocorrect that converts hyphens to dashes, since Shunn notes a dash is hard to tell from a hyphen in a monospaced font.
Word’s status bar or Review tab gives the word count. Use that number, rounded, rather than an estimate based on page count. Shunn explains that the old 250-words-per-page rule stopped working once writers moved to proportional fonts (Shunn, 2021).
Why the build matters after acceptance
A manuscript that follows the format with real settings is easier for every professional who handles it next.
- Copy editors work in tracked changes. Clean paragraph styles mean the tracked changes show edits to words, not to stray spaces and tabs. See Copyediting a Book: Correctness, Consistency, and the Style Sheet.
- Interior designers map the manuscript’s paragraphs onto book styles. Manual tabs, spaces, and blank lines all have to be found and stripped before typesetting can start.
- Proofreaders check what survived conversion. Scene breaks marked only with a blank line are a common casualty. Shunn warns that word processors often hide blank lines at the top or bottom of a page, which is why the guide calls for a visible #. The proofreading guide includes an illustration of scene breaks that vanished during conversion.
The same logic explains why the manuscript stays plain. Full justification, decorative fonts, and drop caps belong to the finished book. The interior designer adds them at the layout stage, built for the trim size and format. In a manuscript they only add work to remove.
Story manuscripts and novel manuscripts
Shunn’s sample novel manuscript shows how the two forms differ.
| Short story | Novel | |
|---|---|---|
| First page | Contact information, word count, title, and byline on page one, with the story starting below | A separate title page |
| Page numbering | Page one is the first page | Page 1 is the first page of text, after the title page |
| Chapters | Not applicable | Each chapter begins on a new page |
| Word count | Rounded to the nearest hundred | Shunn’s Word templates round to the nearest thousand |
Everything else, including margins, font, spacing, indents, header, and scene breaks, stays the same.
Modern and classic versions
In 2020 Shunn released the guide in two editions with identical text (Shunn, 2020).
| Modern | Classic | |
|---|---|---|
| Font | Proportional serif, such as Times New Roman | Monospaced, such as Courier |
| Space between sentences | One | Two |
| Where to read it | shunn.net/format/story | shunn.net/format/classic |
Shunn’s note on both versions says that a publication asking for “Shunn Classic” means a Courier font, not Times New Roman. His original guide URL redirects to the Classic edition, so a market that has linked to the guide for years may be pointing at Classic without meaning to require it. If the guidelines name a version, use it. If they do not, the modern edition matches current practice. Shunn writes that Courier is probably on its way out in fiction circles.
Common setup problems and fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Paragraphs indented with tabs or spaces | Remove them and set a 0.5-inch first-line indent in the paragraph style |
| Blank line between every paragraph | Set spacing before and after to 0 pt and delete the empty paragraphs |
| Fully justified text | Change to Align Left |
| Scene break shown as an empty line | Replace it with a centered # |
| Underlining for emphasis | Change to italics unless the guidelines ask for underlining |
| Two spaces after periods in a Times New Roman file | Find and replace double spaces with single spaces |
| Header showing on page one | Check Different First Page in the header settings |
| Word count estimated from pages | Use the word processor’s count, rounded |
| Social Security number on the first page | Remove it. Shunn notes the publisher will ask for tax information with the contract |
Writers who would be put at risk by sharing a legal name or address have options. Shunn’s July 2026 post says the contact block can hold as much or as little as the writer chooses, including only a pen name, as long as the market’s guidelines do not specifically require more. Shunn adds that most of the big professional markets do ask for full details, because contracts and tax documents follow a sale.
When guidelines say something different
Shunn’s guide closes with the rule that outranks every other: check each market’s submission guidelines, and when their rules differ from his, follow theirs. A publisher may ask for a different font, a different header, or no header at all. The acquisitions editor guide makes the same point from the publisher’s side. Ignoring instructions is an easy reason for a no.
The same applies to editors and designers. A freelancer may request a particular file type or style setup. Publication Engineering’s guide to how to self-edit before hiring an editor recommends Shunn format for files headed to an editor, because a plain, consistent file is the fastest one to work on.
Templates to start from
Building the format once and saving it as a template removes the setup step from every future project. Two free options:
- Guy Anthony De Marco’s templates. A version with headers for markets that want the surname, title, and page header, and a version without headers for guidelines that ask for none. Both are free downloads from the downloads page on guyanthonydemarco.com, in RTF format for Word and other word processors. His notes on the templates point out that some publishers want variations, such as Courier New instead of Times New Roman, so adjust the template to match the guidelines.
- William Shunn’s templates. Shunn offers Word templates for stories and novels, built for Word 2010 and later, with a field that calculates a rounded word count.
Sending the manuscript
For a quote on editing or interior design, Publication Engineering asks for a sample, typically a chapter from the beginning, middle, and end, or enough pages to show heading styles, scene breaks, and dialogue (Design & Editing Rates). A sample in standard manuscript format makes those elements easy to see. For how the editing stages fit together, see Book Editing Stages Explained: Who Does What, and in What Order.
When the manuscript is ready, request a quote.
Sources
- William Shunn, “Proper Manuscript Format” (Modern Edition): https://www.shunn.net/format/story/ (page, margins, font, contact information, word count, no Social Security number, title and byline placement, double spacing, 0.5-inch indent set in paragraph formatting, left alignment, header with Different First Page behavior, one space, italics, two hyphens, autocorrect note for Courier, smart quotes, # scene breaks and hidden blank lines, follow market guidelines, Courier “on its way out”)
- William Shunn, “Proper Manuscript Format” (Classic Edition): https://www.shunn.net/format/classic/ (“Shunn Classic” means Courier)
- William Shunn, “‘Proper Manuscript Format’ Now Comes in Two Distinct Flavors,” April 16, 2020: https://www.shunn.net/format/2020/04/proper_manuscript_format_now_comes_in_two_distinct_flavors.html (quote “the de facto standard for a host of professional publications”; modern and classic differences; identical text; original URL redirects to Classic; guide online since 1995)
- William Shunn, “A Brief Manuscript Formatting Checklist,” January 20, 2024: https://www.shunn.net/format/2024/01/a_brief_manuscript_formatting_checklist.html (specification table; no drop caps or dingbats)
- William Shunn, “Sample Novel Manuscript”: https://www.shunn.net/format/novel/ (separate title page, numbering, chapters on new pages)
- William Shunn, “The Old Rule of Thumb for Estimating Word Count Is Obsolete,” April 23, 2021: https://www.shunn.net/format/2021/04/the_old_rule_of_thumb_for_estimating_word_count_is_obsolete.html (computer word count over 250 words per page)
- William Shunn, “Withholding Personally Identifiable Information,” July 13, 2026: https://www.shunn.net/format/2026/07/withholding_personally_identifiable_information.html (contact information flexibility; does not endorse the “Shunn format” designation)
- William Shunn, “Microsoft Word Templates”: https://www.shunn.net/format/templates.html (Story and Novel templates for Word 2010 and later; rounded word count to the nearest hundred for stories and nearest thousand for novels)
- Guy Anthony De Marco, “Manuscript Template (With Headers)” and “Manuscript Template (No Headers)”: https://guyanthonydemarco.com/downloads/manuscript-template-with-headers/ and https://guyanthonydemarco.com/downloads/manuscript-template-no-headers/ (free RTF templates)
- Guy Anthony De Marco, “Free Manuscript Templates for Authors”: https://guyanthonydemarco.com/free-manuscript-templates-for-word/ (some publishers want Courier New or other variations)
- Publication Engineering, “Design & Editing Rates”: https://publicationengineering.com/design-rates/ (sample request for quotes)