Greetings fellow readers and writers. Happy Tuesday. Lately I’ve been reading books about the craft of writing and diving into a few writing and publishing magazines. Anytime I come across something I think other writers may find helpful I like to share it. The following information may seem like a minor thing, or common sense among writers, but I’m sure there are a few people out there who may find this helpful. If you have ever published a book, there are things you might do automatically and never think about. For example, when you’re writing your manuscript, I’m sure you created a title page and labeled your chapters. Easy, right? But there are other things some of us never think about. I’ve never included a list of characters in my books until recently, because I just didn’t think about it. While reading The Poets and Writers Complete Guide to Being A Writer, the list of the parts of a manuscript located in Chapter 20 made me pause. Yes, a manuscript, much like anything else, has parts to it. All of those parts work together to create a whole product. For anyone who just likes to have a checklist for confirmation, this list is for you. If you’re a new writer and you’re putting a manuscript together for the first time, this list is definitely for you.

These are the parts of a manuscript. Each item on this list may not always apply to your work in particular, but you can take from it what you need. Again, this information can be found in Chapter 20 of The Poets and Writers Complete Guide to Being A Writer.

• previously published books
• title page
• copyright page
• dedication
• acknowledgements
• quotation page or epigraph
• preface of introduction
• foreward
• table of contents
• list of illustrations, maps or figures
• dramatis personae
• prologue
• appendix
• glossary
• endnotes
• bibliography
• index

I have yet to include ALL of these items in a manuscript, but I have a feeling when I write the next anniversary book/memoir for Woolaston Entertainment I will most likely use most of them. Keep writing, everyone.