Manuscript Submission Checklist
A printable checklist to ensure your manuscript is polished and ready before you submit to any publisher, agent, or distributor.
How to Use This Checklist
Work through each section before you submit your manuscript anywhere — to an agent, a small press, a developmental editor, or a self-publishing distributor. Each item represents a common failure point that causes manuscripts to be rejected or returned for revision.
Print this checklist and check off each item physically. The act of checking a box forces you to confirm you've actually completed the step, not just assumed you have.
Print or save this checklist as a PDF for easy reference.
Manuscript Completeness
The manuscript is complete — no placeholder scenes, unfinished chapters, or "TK" notes remaining.
The word count is appropriate for your genre (adult fiction: 80,000–100,000; YA: 50,000–80,000; middle grade: 20,000–50,000).
All chapter numbers and titles are consistent and correctly sequenced.
The beginning, middle, and end are all present and structurally sound.
Story and Structure
The protagonist has a clear goal, motivation, and conflict.
The central conflict is established within the first 10% of the manuscript.
Every scene serves the story — no scenes exist only to show off research or backstory.
The pacing is consistent — no extended sections where nothing happens.
The ending resolves the central conflict and provides emotional satisfaction.
Secondary characters are distinct and serve a purpose in the story.
Prose and Voice
The narrative voice is consistent throughout.
Point of view is consistent within scenes (no unintentional head-hopping).
Dialogue sounds natural and is properly attributed.
Passive voice has been minimized where active voice is stronger.
Overused words and phrases have been identified and varied.
Show vs. tell balance is appropriate for your genre and scene type.
Copyediting and Proofreading
Spelling has been checked (spell-check run AND manual review completed).
Grammar and punctuation are correct throughout.
Character names are spelled consistently throughout.
Place names, dates, and factual details are consistent.
Formatting is consistent — chapter headings, scene breaks, indentation.
The manuscript has been read aloud at least once to catch awkward phrasing.
Submission Formatting
The manuscript is formatted to industry standard (12pt Times New Roman or Courier, double-spaced, 1" margins) if submitting to agents or traditional publishers.
Your name, title, and page numbers appear in the header.
The file is saved in the format requested (typically .docx for agents, .epub/.pdf for distributors).
The submission package is complete — query letter, synopsis, and sample pages if required.
Rights and Legal
Copyright has been registered at copyright.gov (recommended before wide distribution).
Any quoted material (song lyrics, poetry, other published works) has been cleared for use or falls under fair use.
Real people depicted in the manuscript have been fictionalized sufficiently to avoid defamation concerns.
You have read and understood any submission agreement or contract before signing.
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