Writers Guidelines

Submit your manuscript using Microsoft Word using 8½'' x 11'' with 1½'' margins format. Manuscripts should be double spaced in upper and lower case letters. Do not use all capital letters.

Understand that your manuscript will be edited for clarity, grammar, spelling, appropriateness, length, legal implications, scriptural accuracy, etc. Chapter titles and subtitles will also be edited. All editing will be approved by the writer before publication.

Email your manuscript as an attachment, if possible. Otherwise, please copy and paste into an e-mail or send on a CD. Follow up with a hard copy via UPS or USPS. We do not return manuscripts, so keep the original in your file.

Do not format the manuscript. With the exception of paragraph indentions, begin everything at the left margin, even titles. Indent paragraphs using Tab. Never use the space bar to indent!

Disclose the Bible translation used in the majority of your text. When you vary from this translation, note that behind the quote. (Luke 13:3 NKJV).

Quotations must be verbatim. Indicate omission of materials within quoted texts by using ellipses (...). If text is omitted at the beginning or end of quoted material, and the statements makes sense, the ellipsis can be omitted.

Use brackets to set off personal comments within quoted material. "Go into all the world and preach [proclaim] the gospel to every creature."

Write using the active voice when possible. The passive sentence, "The disciples were informed by Jesus of his impending death" is not as strong as the active sentence: "Jesus informed his disciples of his impending death."

Double-check all biblical references. Be accurate!

Spell out the names of Bible books. We might elect to use abbreviations but we must begin with complete spelling.

Avoid using bold-face, or underlined text. We will supply bold-faced text as needed. We do not allow underlined text anywhere.

Use italics sparingly. Except for titles (and a few other texts that demand italics), we use regular type. Good writers almost never use italics for emphasis because good writers select words and construct sentences that emphasize.

Consider these resources: A modern dictionary, a thesaurus, a world almanac, and the Chicago Manual of Style.

Include this information with your manuscript:

1. 1. Subject of manuscript
2. 2. Suggested titles
3. 3. Author's name, mailing address, telephone numbers, fax numbers, date of birth, and email address
4. 4. Biography of author, including occupation, church membership, family, hobbies, awards, or previous books.

Submit email to peggy.coulter@gmail.com or mail via UPS or USPS to Publishing Designs, Inc., 123 John Roach Lane, Big Cove, Alabama 35763.

Copyright © 2002 Publishing Designs, Inc.