Manuscript Formatter (Shunn)
Turn pasted text or .docx, .md and .txt chapters into a standard Shunn-style manuscript .docx with a title page and running head.
1. Your text
Drop .docx, .md or .txt files
or click to browseor tap to choose
Each file is read in your browser; nothing is uploaded
Large files (over 50 MB) may take longer or run out of browser memory
2. Title page details
3. Check and download
- Words
- 0
- Title page says
- -
- Pages (estimate)
- -
- Chapters
- 0
The page count is an estimate from 250 words per page. Your word processor will give the real number after you open the file.
Images and tables in uploaded files are left out, and colors and alignment are dropped, because a standard manuscript has none of them. Open the file in Word or another word processor and check it before you send it.
About Manuscript Formatter (Shunn)
Turns your draft into a standard manuscript .docx in the Shunn layout that many fiction submission guidelines ask for: 12 point Times New Roman, double spaced, 1 inch margins, a title page with your contact block and word count, and a running head of your last name, the title and the page number on every later page.
Paste your text or upload .docx, .md or .txt files. Enter the title, the name to publish under, and your real name and contact details. Pick how to round the word count, check the title page and first page preview, then download the .docx.
Always read the submission guidelines of the agent, magazine or publisher first. Some ask for a different font, a synopsis, or a title page without contact details, and their rules win over any template.
- What is Shunn manuscript format?
- It is the layout described by William Shunn that many fiction markets and agents expect: Times New Roman 12 point, double spaced, 1 inch margins, paragraphs marked by a first-line indent, a title page with contact details and an approximate word count, and a running head on later pages. It is a convention, and each market may ask for small changes.
- Which part of my file gets changed?
- The text is rebuilt in the manuscript layout: fonts, spacing and margins are set by the format. Bold and italics are kept; colors, alignment, images and tables are dropped, because a standard manuscript has none of them.
- How is the word count worked out and rounded?
- The tool counts the words in your chapter headings, paragraphs and list items, then rounds to the step you pick: exact, 10, 100, 500 or 1,000. The title page shows the rounded figure as about N words. Your word processor may count slightly differently, for example with hyphenated words.
- How accurate is the page count?
- It is an estimate. It divides your word count by a words-per-page figure (250 by default) and adds room for the title page and chapter openings. Real page counts depend on paragraph lengths and on the program that opens the file.
- Why does my file show no chapter headings?
- Headings are found from Markdown # lines, a line like Chapter 2 on its own, or heading styles in a .docx. Without any of them the text is treated as one chapter with no heading, which suits a short story. Add a heading line where you want a chapter to start.
How to use Manuscript Formatter (Shunn)
Paste your text, or drop .docx, .md or .txt files, then enter the title, the byline, your real name and your contact details. Choose how the word count is rounded and check the title page and first-page previews next to the figures for words, estimated pages and chapters. Click Download to get the .docx.
When to use it
Use it when a submission guideline asks for standard manuscript format: 12 point Times New Roman, double spacing, 1 inch margins, a title page with your contact block and word count, and a running head with your last name, the title and the page number. It suits novels, novellas and short stories sent to agents, editors and magazines.
When not to use it
Do not use it for a book you plan to print or publish yourself, which needs a typeset interior, or when the recipient names a different format, font or title page. It is not a layout editor: text with images, tables, colors or custom styles is reduced to plain manuscript text.
Tips for best results
Put a blank line between paragraphs and use a line with only * * * between scenes. Pick Nearest 1,000 for a long novel and Nearest 100 for a short story if the guidelines do not say. Open the .docx in Word and read the first pages before you send it.
Limitations
Chapters are found from Markdown headings (# or ##), lines such as Chapter 3 on their own, or the top heading level of a .docx; text with none becomes one chapter. The mailing address is one line. Images, tables, colors and alignment are left out. The page count is an estimate from a words-per-page figure you can change, and your word processor will show the real number.
Privacy
Files and pasted text are read and converted in your browser tab. Nothing is uploaded or stored, and the text is gone when you close or reload the page.
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