American Citizens Abroad would like to
request that you please send us an electronic copy of your manuscript.
You can submit a hard copy along with a disk containing the work in electronic
form, or you may submit your story just by e-mail with the work as an attached
electronic file to the e-mail. All manuscripts will be acknowledged on
receipt, but you should also keep a copy of your work and the e-mail you
send.
You will also need to send an overall word
count and a short biography of between two and four sentences.
The Main Text: It is preferable if you
work in Word, either for PC or Mac (ACA uses Word) however, other word
processing packages are fine (WordPerfect, WordPro, ClarisWorks, Nisus)
provided you can save your files in rich text format (.rtf). If you have
another package, ACA does have a translation program and should be able
to convert your files. Please save your story as one single file.
Format the text double-spaced and if sending
a hard copy print in black ink on one side of white or light colored A4
paper.
Leave a 2.5 to 3.0 cm margin at the sides
and the top and bottom of each page.
Set the text to be left aligned and ragged
right (i.e. not justified).
Set the paragraph formatting to have a
first line indent, e.g. 1.3 cm. This way there is no need to insert an
extra paragraph return between paragraphs to distinguish the beginning
of a new paragraph.
It is not necessary to number each page
electronically, nor to use headers or footers. However, if you are sending
a hard copy of your story, ensure that it is stapled together, or otherwise
secured in a folder with the pages placed in the correct running order.
If this is not possible number the pages by hand.
If you send a hard copy, it needs to be
an exact copy of the work supplied on disk or by e-mail. That is, do not
send a disk copy or e-mail file that incorporates amendments not shown
on the printed version.
Use of symbols: use the Insert menu in
Word, select Symbol then search for the appropriate symbol. Other word
processing packages will have similar symbols. For symbols not available
in this way, contact the publisher. (Sometimes symbols will not translate
properly when converted to rich text file format so it may be necessary
to mark this by hand).
Non-text material: Illustrations: provide
any illustrations (simple sketches, diagrams) as a separate hard copy,
and indicate clearly if you want the original returned to you.
Suggestions for illustrations: these are
welcome and an illustrator may be sought at the discretion of the publisher.
Additional information: Please also provide
us with a brief biography of yourself in two to four sentences and also
a word count of your story. These may be set out in the covering e-mail
you send attaching your story, and/or at the top of the story you send.
Very, Very Important!
Always keep a complete back up copy of your work. Do not send the only electronic copy you have to the publisher.