Example from Publication Guaranteed (well, almost!):
On the first page of your manuscript, you should write your name, address, email address, phone number and the date in the top left-hand corner. In the top right-hand corner, you write part of your article title. For example, for an article called ‘Bombast and Beauty’, you would write ‘Bombast 1’. Next, in the centre, you write your title and byline about a third of the way down the page.
On the next page, you don’t need to write out your contact details again, but you do need to write the catchline i.e. ‘Bombast’. You should also add in your surname and the next page number and so on for each subsequent page.
At the bottom of each page, write ‘mf…’ to indicate, literally, that ‘more follows’ i.e. more of the article is to come. On the last page you write ‘END’ so the editor knows your article has finished.
The following article, ‘Bombast and Beauty’, was written for a writing magazine. It’s written in the correct format i.e. in double spacing, with a catchline, etc.
1 Writers Row Bombast 1
Writing Land
WR1 1TR
Tel: 01234 56789
Email: estherchilton@writingmail.com
Bombast and Beauty
By
Esther Chilton
As writers, we’re often told flowery, ornate language is a thing of the past. But it seems
in the case of beauty products, the more exaggerated and elaborate the better.
Here’s a tongue-in-cheek look at some of the slogans and descriptions, which can be
found at the beauty counter:
One Eau de Toilette spray can boast of the following description, ‘Seductively spicy
coriander and addictive fig surrounded by smouldering leather patchouli’. On its own,
you’ve probably never thought of coriander as seductive. Neither is fig known as being
particularly addictive. Chocolate, maybe. But for that matter, does the patchouli plant
actually smoulder? Nonetheless, you have to admit, in using this sensuous description,
it does rather conjure up the image of Colin Firth in ‘Pride and Prejudice’, which can’t
be a bad thing.
mf…
Esther Chilton 