01. Before you start

Purpose: to explain what the author should have ready before preparing the manuscript.

Contents:

• What the style manual is.
• Who it is for.
• What kinds of manuscripts the publisher accepts.
• General recommendations before submitting.
• Initial checklist:
  • Complete manuscript.
  • Spell check.
  • Defined structure.
  • Sources identified.
  • Images and resources properly credited.

Suggested title within the tab: Before you submit your manuscript

Good preparation makes the evaluation and editing of your work easier.

02. Manuscript format

Purpose: to specify exactly how the file should be delivered.

Contents:

• Accepted file format.
• Page size.
• Margins.
• Typeface.
• Font size.
• Line spacing.
• Alignment.
• Indentation.
• Page numbering.
• Use of page breaks.
• File name.

Example:

• Format: Word (.docx)
• Typeface: Arial
• Size: 12 pt
• Line spacing: 1,5
• Alignment: left
• Margins: 2,5 cm

03. Structure of the work

Purpose: to explain how to organize the content of the book.

Contents:

• Cover.
• Title page.
• Table of contents.
• Foreword.
• Introduction.
• Chapters.
• Subchapters.
• Conclusions.
• Bibliography.
• Appendices.

You can also include a visual example of how to organize a chapter.

Example:

CHAPTER 1
Chapter title
1.1. Section title
Body text…
1.2. Section title
Body text…

04. Writing guidelines

Purpose: to set out the writing rules authors must follow.

Contents:

• Spelling.
• Accents.
• Capitalization.
• Punctuation.
• Quotation marks.
• Hyphens and dashes.
• Italics.
• Bold.
• Abbreviations.
• Numbers.
• Dates.
• Use of foreign words.
• Consistent terminology.

05. Citations, sources and bibliography

Purpose: to set out how sources must be documented.

Contents:

• Direct quotations.
• Indirect quotations.
• Short and block quotations.
• Footnotes.
• Bibliographic references.
• Books.
• Academic articles.
• Web pages.
• Interviews.
• Audiovisual sources.
• DOI and links.
• Plagiarism and copyright.

Here you should specify which citation system the publisher uses: APA, Chicago, MLA, Vancouver, etc.

06. Images, tables and charts

Purpose: to explain how to deliver visual material.

Contents:

• Accepted formats.
• Minimum resolution.
• Image numbering.
• Titles.
• Captions.
• Credits.
• Reproduction rights.
• Tables.
• Charts.
• Illustrations.
• Photographs.

Example:

Figure 01. Panoramic view of Machu Picchu.
Source: Author’s archive.

Important: the author is responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions to use images, photographs, illustrations or any other third-party material.

07. What to avoid

This tab can be more visual and direct.

❌ Avoid

• Using multiple typefaces.
• Using repeated spaces to create indents.
• Formatting with unnecessary tabs.
• Mixing different citation styles.
• Sending low-resolution images.
• Using uncredited material.
• Inserting unnecessary decorative elements.
• Sending incomplete chapters.
• Delivering a PDF when an editable file is requested.

✅ We recommend

• Keeping a clean structure.
• Using consistent styles.
• Proofreading the text carefully.
• Labeling each resource correctly.
• Keeping the presentation simple.

08. Checklist and submission

This should be the last tab and the close of the manual.

Is your manuscript ready?

Before submitting it, check that:

• The work is complete.
• I have checked spelling and punctuation.
• The chapters are properly organized.
• Citations and references are complete.
• Images have their respective credits.
• The file meets the requested format.
• I have reviewed the document one last time.