Over my 12 years of entering I've made scattered notes, posts, and even a .doc of what the judges have said they prefer in regards to formatting. I finally compiled my notes into a three page pdf and here it is!
I imagine many of you know these things already, but maybe they'll be something new and or helpful. 😊
* Side note - these are not requirements, just stuff I've gleaned throughout my time.
Career: 1x Win -- 2x NW-F -- 2x S-F -- 9x S-HM -- 11x HM -- 7x R
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Do you think it's better to put the story title in the header, or in the footer with the page number? And how do you usually justify the title/page number in the header/footer. My last submission was right justified, only because that's what looked right to me. I think I had my page numbers in the header last time, and didn't have my title in the header or footer at all 😅 So clearly I needed this guidance! Thanks for sharing!
v42: - - - HM
I used my own template for this. Once I had it set up, I would right click, make a copy, open, then change the story, keeping all the formatting.
Thus, bottom right for both things. I found having the title or even the page # on the top distracting. When I went from reading the bottom of a page to the top of the next I saw the title, but when it was in the bottom right I ignored it. Might be one of those the the things (A the at the end of a sentence and a the at the beginning of the next one is most times only seen once by a reader).
Career: 1x Win -- 2x NW-F -- 2x S-F -- 9x S-HM -- 11x HM -- 7x R
Like me: facebook/AuthorTJKnight
@bootzenkatzen Shunn standard manuscript format uses top right for the page numbers. I've always put my page numbers in the top right also, just because that's the way I saw Shunn do it. No idea though if Writers of the Future has a preference. If I recall correctly, page numbers appear in the bottom right of the printed anthology.
"There are three rules to writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
— W. Somerset Maugham
Drop me a line at https://morganbroadhead.com
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HMx6
R/RWCx6
I just follow Shunn also, minus the names as the competition needs anon. It's then ready to be submitted elsewhere immediately with no format changes if it's not a fit here.
"...your motivations for wanting to write are probably complex. You may have a few great passions, you may want to be rich and famous, and you may need therapy."
- Dave Farland, Million Dollar Outlines
Writers of the Future:
2026 Q1: TBD Q2: TBD Q3: TBD Q4: TBD
2025 Q1: HM Q2: SHM Q3: HM Q4: HM (resub of 2024 HM)
2024 Q1: F Q2: HM Q3:SHM Q4: SHM
2023 Q1: RWC Q2: SHM Q3: SHM Q4: R
2022 Q4: R
Submissions to other markets:
2025: 163 submitted 10 acceptances
2024: 53 submitted 8 acceptances
2023: 74 submitted 13 acceptances
2022: 22 submitted 1 acceptance
2025 goals: a. New Novel b. New piece submitted/month c. 100 rejections
Love the subliminal hint there. I never thought of that.@bootzenkatzen Shunn standard manuscript format uses top right for the page numbers. I've always put my page numbers in the top right also, just because that's the way I saw Shunn do it. No idea though if Writers of the Future has a preference. If I recall correctly, page numbers appear in the bottom right of the printed anthology.
Career: 1x Win -- 2x NW-F -- 2x S-F -- 9x S-HM -- 11x HM -- 7x R
Like me: facebook/AuthorTJKnight
Love the subliminal hint there. I never thought of that.@bootzenkatzen Shunn standard manuscript format uses top right for the page numbers. I've always put my page numbers in the top right also, just because that's the way I saw Shunn do it. No idea though if Writers of the Future has a preference. If I recall correctly, page numbers appear in the bottom right of the printed anthology.
Since none of my stories have ever won Writers of the Future (yet), I just use default Shunn format so I can punt them right back out into the submission world to other markets as soon as WoTF rejects them. Makes it easy just like @gideonpsmith mentions above.
Then again, maybe the reason my stories haven't won yet is because I keep putting my page numbers in the wrong place! Gah! Rejectomancy!
"There are three rules to writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
— W. Somerset Maugham
Drop me a line at https://morganbroadhead.com
SFx1
HMx6
R/RWCx6
