Book Manuscript Sample: Submission Examples KDP Interior

Okay so manuscript samples are literally the thing most people screw up when submitting to agents or publishers, and I’ve reviewed probably hundreds of these over the years helping authors get their stuff ready for KDP and traditional routes.

Table of Contents

What Actually Goes in a Manuscript Sample

First off, you need to know what they’re actually asking for. Most agents want like 10-50 pages depending on the submission guidelines. Some want the first three chapters. Some want exactly 5,000 words. Whatever they say, that’s what you send, not what you think is your “best” part from chapter 12 or whatever.

The sample always starts from page one. Like literally the beginning of your book. Not the prologue if you can avoid it honestly, because agents kinda hate prologues now. But if your book absolutely needs it, then yeah, include it and count it in your page count.

Standard manuscript format is non-negotiable here. I’m talking:

Times New Roman or Courier, 12pt font
Double-spaced lines
1-inch margins all around
Header with your last name and page number
Chapter headings centered or left-aligned depending on style
Indented paragraphs (0.5 inches), no extra line breaks between paragraphs

I know it looks ugly compared to a formatted book, but that’s literally the industry standard and has been forever. Agents need it this way because it’s easier to read and make notes on.

The First Page Setup

Your first page should have your contact info in the upper left corner. Like this kinda thing:

Your Name
Address
Phone
Email

Then drop down about a third of the page and center your title in ALL CAPS, then “by” on the next line, then your name. Some people add word count here too in the upper right corner of that first page.

Oh and another thing, if you’re using a pen name, you still put your real name in the contact info but use the pen name as the author byline. Agents need to know who they’re actually contracting with.

What I Usually See People Mess Up

The biggest mistake is sending like a PDF of their already-formatted ebook. Don’t do that. Manuscript format is different from book format. I had someone argue with me last month that their Kindle version looked “more professional” and yeah it does, but that’s not what agents want to see in a submission.

Also people get weird about the title page. You don’t need a fancy title page with graphics or anything. This isn’t a college essay. Just the basic info I mentioned above.

Fiction Manuscript Samples

For fiction, you’re basically sending the opening of your novel. This needs to hook them immediately because agents are reading hundreds of these. Your first paragraph better be doing something interesting.

I was watching this show last night about publishing (yeah I’m that nerdy) and they interviewed an agent who said she knows within the first page if she’s gonna keep reading. That’s brutal but also true from what I’ve seen.

Your sample should show:

Your writing voice and style
The protagonist and their world
The central conflict or tension starting to develop
That you can write clean prose without a million typos

Don’t do that thing where you spend 10 pages describing the weather or the character waking up and getting coffee. Start with something actually happening. My dog literally gets more excited about breakfast than most characters in opening chapters I’ve read.

Sample Structure for Fiction

If they want 50 pages, you’re probably looking at the first 3-4 chapters for most novels. Make sure you’re not cutting off mid-scene if you can avoid it. If the guideline says “first 50 pages” and your third chapter ends on page 47, stop there. Don’t include three pages of chapter four just to hit exactly 50.

Some agents want a synopsis included with the sample. That’s separate, not part of your page count. The synopsis is its own thing, usually 1-2 pages, single-spaced, that summarizes your entire plot including the ending. Yeah you gotta spoil your own book in the synopsis, it’s weird but necessary.

Non-Fiction Manuscript Samples

Non-fiction is different because you usually don’t have the whole manuscript written yet. You’re selling on proposal. But if they want sample chapters, send your best ones, not necessarily the first ones.

For non-fiction, agents wanna see:

Your expertise and authority on the subject
Your ability to explain complex stuff clearly
That the book has a logical structure
Your unique angle or approach

I usually tell people to send the introduction plus two strong middle chapters. The intro sets up what the book’s about and why you’re the person to write it. Then pick chapters that really showcase your content and style.

Platform Matters Here

Oh wait I forgot to mention, for non-fiction they care way more about your platform. Like your sample chapters could be amazing but if you have zero online presence, it’s gonna be harder. Not impossible, but harder. This is where having a blog, email list, social media following, or speaking experience really helps.

Formatting Examples That Actually Work

Okay so here’s what a properly formatted fiction manuscript page actually looks like in practice:

The header at the top right shows: Harper / 23 (that’s last name, slash, page number)

Then your text starts with either a chapter heading or just jumps into the prose:

CHAPTER ONE

The letter arrived on a Tuesday, which should have been my first warning. Nothing good ever happened on Tuesdays.

I found it wedged between a credit card offer and a coupon book, the envelope thick and cream-colored, my name written in actual fountain pen ink. Who even used fountain pens anymore?

See how the paragraphs are indented? That’s done with the tab key or by setting first-line indent in your word processor. Don’t hit the space bar five times, that’s gonna look inconsistent.

File Format for Submission

Most agents want .doc or .docx files. Some accept PDF but many don’t because they can’t make editorial notes as easily. Check the guidelines but when in doubt, send a Word doc.

Name your file something professional like: TITLE_Author_Sample.docx

Not like: my amazing book final FINAL version 3 edited.docx (I’ve literally seen submissions named like that, it’s bad)

Common Technical Issues

Make sure your formatting doesn’t get weird when you save or email the file. I always send myself a test copy and open it to make sure everything looks right. Sometimes fonts change or spacing gets messed up depending on what version of Word people are using.

Also turn off track changes and comments before you send it. Nobody wants to see your editor’s notes or your argument with yourself about whether to use “said” or “whispered” in chapter two.

What Not to Include

Don’t include:

Cover art or mock-ups
Copyright pages
Dedications or acknowledgments
Endorsement quotes you’re hoping to get
A table of contents unless it’s non-fiction
Your author photo

The sample is just the text. All that other stuff comes later if they offer representation.

Special Cases and Weird Situations

Okay so funny story, I had a client who wrote a book that was partially formatted as text messages and emails. She was freaking out about how to format that in manuscript style. The answer is you just indicate it clearly:

TEXT FROM SARAH: “Where are you? I’ve been waiting for 20 minutes.”

TEXT FROM ME: “Stuck in traffic. Be there soon.”

You don’t try to make it look like an actual text bubble or anything fancy. Just make it clear what you’re showing.

Same thing for books with multiple POVs. Just add a scene break (usually indicated with ###) or a chapter heading that shows whose perspective you’re in.

Poetry and Experimental Stuff

If you’re submitting poetry or experimental fiction where the formatting is part of the artistic choice, you get a bit more flexibility. But you still need clean, readable formatting. And definitely mention in your query letter that the formatting is intentional.

The Query Package vs The Sample

This is gonna sound obvious but the manuscript sample is different from your query letter. The query is a one-page business letter that pitches your book. The sample is the actual writing. Some agents want them in the same email, some want the query first and only send the sample if they request it.

Always read the submission guidelines. I know I keep saying this but people just… don’t. They send whatever they want however they want and then wonder why they get rejected.

Self-Publishing Context

Now if you’re going the KDP route like most of my clients, you don’t need manuscript samples in this format for publication. But you might need them for:

Hiring an editor (they want to see your writing before quoting)
Beta readers or critique partners
Writing contests
If you decide to try traditional publishing later

I always tell people to keep a manuscript-formatted version of their book even if they’re self-publishing. It’s just good practice and you never know when you’ll need it.

Editing Before You Send

Your sample needs to be as clean as possible. Not perfect, nobody’s perfect, but like… really proofread. Use spell check. Read it out loud. Have someone else look at it.

Agents will forgive maybe one or two small typos in 50 pages, but if there’s a mistake on page one or multiple errors throughout, that’s an automatic rejection most of the time. They figure if you can’t be bothered to proofread your sample, the whole manuscript is probably a mess.

Following Up

Oh and another thing, after you send your sample, don’t follow up for at least 6-8 weeks unless the guidelines specify a different timeline. Agents are slow, that’s just how it is. Following up after two weeks just annoys them.

Most agencies now have online submission systems where you can check the status anyway. But yeah, patience is required here, which I know sucks when you’re excited about your book.

The main thing with manuscript samples is just following the directions and making your writing as strong as possible. It’s not complicated but people overthink it or try to be creative with formatting when they should just keep it standard. Agents want to focus on your words, not figure out why you used Comic Sans or whatever.