A manuscript is the work that an author submits to a publisher,
editor
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...
, or producer for
publication
To publish is to make content available to the general public.[Berne Conve ...](_blank)
. In
publishing
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
, "manuscript" can also refer to one or both of the following:
* the format standard for a ''short story manuscript'',
* an accepted manuscript, reviewed but not yet in a final format, distributed in advance as a ''preprint''.
Manuscript format
Even with
desktop publishing
Desktop publishing (DTP) is the creation of documents using page layout software on a personal ("desktop") computer. It was first used almost exclusively for print publications, but now it also assists in the creation of various forms of online c ...
making it possible for writers to prepare text that appears professionally
typeset
Typesetting is the composition of text by means of arranging physical ''type'' (or ''sort'') in mechanical systems or ''glyphs'' in digital systems representing '' characters'' (letters and other symbols).Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random H ...
, 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,
style guide
A style guide or manual of style is a set of standards for the writing, formatting, and design of documents. It is often called a style sheet, although that term also has multiple other meanings. The standards can be applied either for gene ...
s are also key references since "virtually all professional editors work closely with one of them in editing a manuscript for publication." Nonetheless, individual publishers' standards always take precedence over
style guide
A style guide or manual of style is a set of standards for the writing, formatting, and design of documents. It is often called a style sheet, although that term also has multiple other meanings. The standards can be applied either for gene ...
s.
As formatting of a short story is considered the most general rubric for manuscript submissions, it is referred to as the
standard manuscript format and is easily distinguishable from most published material.
Preprint
An ordinary ''manuscript'' only becomes a "publisher's
preprint
In academic publishing, a preprint is a version of a scholarly or scientific paper that precedes formal peer review and publication in a peer-reviewed scholarly or scientific journal. The preprint may be available, often as a non-typeset versio ...
" if it somehow gets distributed beyond the authors (or the occasional colleague whom they ask for advice). A future "final print" must be planned – with
better layout,
proofreading
Proofreading is the reading of a galley proof or an electronic copy of a publication to find and correct reproduction errors of text or art. Proofreading is the final step in the editorial cycle before publication.
Professional
Traditional ...
,
prepress proofing
A contract proof usually serves as an agreement between customer and printer and as a color reference guide for adjusting the press before the final press run. Most contract proofs are a prepress proof.
The primary goal of proofing is to serve as ...
, etc. – that will replace the "preprinted ''manuscript''".
* In a
peer review
Peer review is the evaluation of work by one or more people with similar competencies as the producers of the work (peers). It functions as a form of self-regulation by qualified members of a profession within the relevant field. Peer review ...
context: if an author prepares a manuscript on their computer and submits it to a publisher for review but it is not accepted, there cannot be a "publisher's preprint".
* In a web context (legal/cultural authorship): to demonstrate authorship, an author can upload a version of their work to a
repository
Repository may refer to:
Archives and online databases
* Content repository, a database with an associated set of data management tools, allowing application-independent access to the content
* Disciplinary repository (or subject repository), an ...
before full publication. Note that an alternative could be to use a
legal deposit
Legal deposit is a legal requirement that a person or group submit copies of their publications to a repository, usually a library. The number of copies required varies from country to country. Typically, the national library is the primary reposit ...
.
See also
*
Center for Open Science
The Center for Open Science is a non-profit technology organization based in Charlottesville, Virginia with a mission to "increase the openness, integrity, and reproducibility of scientific research." Brian Nosek and Jeffrey Spies founded the or ...
*
Cogprints
CogPrints is an electronic archive in which authors can self-archive papers in any area of cognitive science, including psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics, and many areas of computer science (e.g., artificial intelligence, robotics, vision ...
*
Cryptology ePrint Archive
The Cryptology ePrint Archive is an electronic archive (eprint) of new results in the field of cryptography, maintained by the International Association for Cryptologic Research. It contains articles covering many of the most recent advances in cr ...
*
Draft document
In the context of written composition, "drafting" refers to any process of generating preliminary versions of a written work. Drafting happens at any stage of the writing process as writers generate trial versions of the text they're developing. ...
*
Grey literature
Grey literature (or gray literature) is materials and research produced by organizations outside of the traditional commercial or academic publishing and distribution channels. Common grey literature publication types include reports (annual, rese ...
*
List of academic journals by preprint policy This is a list of publishers of academic journals by their submission policies regarding the use of preprints prior to publication ( example list).
Publishers' policies on self-archiving (including of preprint versions) can also be found at SHERPA ...
*
Prepress Prepress is the term used in the Printing and Publishing industries for the processes and procedures that occur between the creation of a print layout and the final printing. The prepress process includes the preparation of artwork for press, media ...
*
Postprint
A postprint is a digital draft of a research journal article ''after'' it has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication, but ''before'' it has been typeset and formatted by the journal.
Related terminology
A digital draft before peer rev ...
*
ScientificCommons
ScientificCommons was a project of the University of St. Gallen ''Institute for Media and Communications Management''. The major aim of the project was to develop the world’s largest archive of scientific knowledge with fulltexts freely accessi ...
*
Self-archiving
Self-archiving is the act of (the author's) depositing a free copy of an electronic document online in order to provide open access to it. The term usually refers to the self-archiving of peer-reviewed research journal and conference articles, as ...
References
{{Academic publishing
Writing
Publishing
Academic journal articles
Academic publishing
Scientific documents
Publications by format
Grey literature