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How to Format Your Picture Book Text
When submitting to traditional publishers or literary agents, presenting your manuscript professionally is extremely important. Attention to proper formatting will help your submission stand out from the tens of thousands of other submissions that are poorly formatted. Proper formatting not only makes your work more professional, it shows an editor or agent that you know something about this industry and have taken the energy to invest seriously in your work. Proper formatting will instantly put your manuscript ahead of the crowd’s.
Picture Book Formatting Checklist
- 12pt Times New Roman, black, regular. (I know ZERO editors who prefer Courier! It is not easy on the eyes when you have to read all day. TNR is universally acceptable.) NO FANCY FONTS. I repeat, no fancy fonts and NO COMIC SANS!
- Place your contact details on the upper left of first page:
- Your name
- Your address
- Your phone number
- Your email address
- Your website/blog if you have one (and if it is relevant to being a writer)
- Place the word count at upper right. E.g. Word Count: 570. Round the word count up or down to the nearest ten for picture books.
- Leave 2-3 inches, or 6-8 cm, between your details and the title. This is space for editors or agents to make hand-written notes, if they desire.
- Center the title. I like to use a slightly larger font size (14-16).
- Place your byline centered below the title in 12 pt. TNR.
- You do not need a cover page for picture books; just leave a two or three lines and start the text below the byline.
- Double-space the main text of your story.
- Your page should have 1-inch margins all round. This is Word’s default setting.
- Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5.
- Left align paragraphs, ragged right
- No lines between paragraphs
- Only one space between sentences, not two
- Place a header on any subsequent pages with your last name and title on upper left, page number on upper right.
- Follow any other submission guidelines of the publisher you’re targeting.
- Do not include a copyright: a registered copyright is a headache for publishers/agents. A copyright symbol is considered amateurish and unnecessary by traditional publishers and literary agents.
And here is how a properly formatted two-page picture book manuscript would look:
That’s it. Now your work looks professional. Good luck, and don’t mind the rejection letters! Keep learning, keep writing, and keep seeking to be ever more professional.
MARLO GARNER writes, illustrates, and edits children's books and teaches writing and revision workshops.
Latest posts by Marlo Garner (see all)
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- Why You Need a Children’s Picture Book Editing Specialist - August 18, 2018
- How to Format Your Picture Book Text - August 18, 2018
How do you denote art notes?
Greetings,
Are the brackets, too, italicized or just the text within the brackets?
Thanks,
Jerimiah
What about a book pertaining to ages 0 to 3 with less that 20 words?
Nov. 5th, 2016
Hi to you Marlo,
Great! site and your picture book manuscript ‘How To’ points are so appreciated.
Can a manuscript also include illustration notes (Illo) as I read about on other info sites?
A short bracketed sentence to describe the visual so the publishing house will not miss out on the pun, etc. And will my manuscript also include the all the character’s dialogue?
Cheers!
– Mark in Vancouver, Canada
Hello, how do you show where each page would end and a new one begin for a picture book?
Thank you for this. It is so helpful for a newbie writer.
I’m wondering also about page breaks. In your manuscript example above, is each new paragraph a new page?
If I write a children’s book that rhymes, should I start a new line at the end of each sentence or continue it as if I was writing a paragraph the didn’t rhyme?
For a children’s picture book, do I include a synopsis with my submission?
Yes, write a cover letter with a synopsis.
I have a picture-book manuscript that would target children up to three years of age. The manuscript contains approximately 280 words. As such, it is made up of individual sentences, double spaced. The way I envision it is that there would be a picture for each sentence. Should I sent it to publishers divided into sentences, or should I run all the sentences together (with periods, of course). I found something on the internet that seemed to indicate I should do the latter, but I’m not sure if I understood what I read.
Hey, if I am creating a manuscript with lots quotes by different speakers, do I indent per quote or should everything just be justified left? Also, do I sinkage space within a quote but double space between quotes? Thanks for your help:)
Yes, the first line of each speaker’s dialogue should be indented.
Marlo Garner – Children’s Book Editor
I am also curious about demonstrating page breaks in my manuscript. Should I just run one continuous script or double space to denote a new page? I noticed you didn’t answer previous questions pertaining to this issue. Please help.
You do not need to show page breaks in a picture book manuscript. It’s great that you’re thinking about them, as that’s an excellent revision tool and will help with your picture book’s pacing. If the manuscript is acquired by a traditional publisher, the illustrator will work with the publishing team to determine the best places for page turns. – Marlo Garner
Hello, Thank you so much for this article. What is I already have someone to illustrate my picture book? Do I still send it in with no pictures?
You can send the text only, but editors like to see the illustrations that go with the text. Sometimes the illustration or the text needs tweaking.
I am writing a rhyming children’s book about various countries. Should I write the manuscript in stanza form or in sentence form? Also, along with the rhyme, I am thinking of adding an informational box on each page that would further explain each country’s customs. I am not sure about how to write this into a manuscript. Any help would be appreciated!
Hi! I was just wondering when writing a picture book with speech bubble dialogue, how would I format that in the manuscript?
I am hoping to illustrate my own book and have already begun that process. I was planning to go ahead and send my manuscript in since they have to be submitted to two different dept. anyway. Should I include page breaks because I already know where I would like them? Also, what would be the best way to inform the publishers that I would like to illustrate the work? Thanks
Yes, you can do manual page breaks. You should ask the publishers how they want illustrations submitted.
I am writing rhyming picture books. Should I add an additional double space between stanzas? Also, is it acceptable to use all caps in certain words that need emphasis?
Thanks
If you’re self-publishing, you can add an extra space between stanzas because you’re the director and producer of the book. The printer will probably not change your spacing.
Definitely NO to caps. Capitalization is for the first word of a sentence and for proper names.
Lynda — Network Coordinator
Ok so since I am submitting it to a publishing company, I will not have an additional double space between stanzas. I will only have one double space between each line of the story. Is there a way to emphasize words? For example, in this line . . . She told him to “stop it!” Can I use quotes or just write it without emphasis? Thanks so much for your help!
A professional editor can help you with all the issues/questions.
Submit
I have this format from Microsoft Word, but I am writing a picture book with a description of the writings on the pages. Each page will have about four to eight lines of writings. It is not a chapter book, so would this be the correct format, and do I submit it to a publisher without the pictures?
We have several picture book specialists who can help you.
Please give us your contact information using this form.
Hi Marlo,
Thanks for this article. It was a great help!
This must seem like a stupid question but how do you format the first page with your details on the left and the word count on the right?
Also, I am formatting a manuscript for a picture book which I have illustrated, myself. How should I show which portions of the text go with which illustrations?
Thanks tremendously!
Regards,
Beth
One method is to do a 2-cell table. Left justify the left cell, and right justify the other cell with the word count.
Thanks Lynda!
Also I noticed Marlo’s first comment about formatting art notes. If I am submitting a manuscript with illustrations should I show what text goes with what image by using that art notes format?
Thanks!
Beth