Amanuscript is the work that an author submits to a publisher,editor, or producer forpublication. Especially inacademic publishing,manuscript can also refer to an accepted document, reviewed but not yet in a final format, distributed in advance as apreprint.
This use of the termmanuscript (fromLatin for "hand written") originally dates from a time when only final published documents were professionallytypeset and printed, but preliminary drafts were written by hand. Oncetypewriters became widespread, many manuscripts were typewritten. Today manuscripts are usually prepared using computers with digital typesetting orword processing software.
Even withdesktop publishing making it possible for writers to prepare text that appears professionallytypeset, many publishers still require authors to submit manuscripts formatted according to their respective guidelines. Manuscript formatting varies greatly depending on the type of work, as well as the particular publisher, editor or producer. Writers who intend to submit a manuscript should determine what the relevant writing standards are, and follow them.
Although publishers’ guidelines for formatting are the most critical resource for authors,[1]style guides are also key references since "virtually all professional editors work closely with one of them in editing a manuscript for publication."[2] Nonetheless, individual publishers' standards always take precedence overstyle guides.[3]
Publishers of literary works such as short stories and poetry often expect submissions instandard manuscript format, which is easily distinguishable from most published material.
An ordinarymanuscript only becomes a "publisher'spreprint" if it somehow gets distributed beyond the authors (or the occasional colleague whom they ask for advice). A future "final print" must be planned – withbetter layout,proofreading,prepress proofing, etc. – that will replace the "preprintedmanuscript".
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