Formatting Your Manuscript

Instant Quiz

Can you correct the error in the sentence below? Scroll to the bottom of today’s post for the answer.    

Jane finished the book, then she passed it on to me.

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I’ve worked with ambitious writers for many years. One thing I’ve discovered is that very few writers know how to format a manuscript professionally.

So I was delighted to discover this article, which explains the basics very well: https://self-publishingschool.com/book-format/

A properly formatted manuscript showcases your professionalism! Learning about tab keys, Style choices, and other formatting topics is an important step in your writing career.

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Instant Quiz ANSWER

You can’t join two sentences with then and a comma. You need a FANBOYS word (for, and, nor, but, or, yet,  so) and a comma:

Jane finished the book, and then she passed it on to me.  CORRECT

If you don’t want to use a FANBOYS word and a comma, that’s okay – as long as you use a period or semicolon instead:

Jane finished the book; then she passed it on to me.  CORRECT

Jane finished the book. Then she passed it on to me.  CORRECT

What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You is available in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon.com and other online booksellers.
“A useful resource for both students and professionals” – Jena L. Hawk, Ph.D., Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College

“Personable and readable…Jean knows her subject forwards and backwards.” – Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go