One of the simplest means of delivering a manuscript correctly is reading what your contract says you’ve already agreed to do. This means that whatever is in the agreement is a part of a legal obligation. You might be provided with different instructions on how you need to deliver your manuscript. You may be invited to supply your manuscript exclusively on disk or in the form of a hard copy. Although environmental concerns might restrict you from delivering the hard copy of your manuscript, it is actually one of the best means of portraying the exclusive features of your research document.
Your contract might probably instruct you to deliver two or three copies of the manuscript. You can count on two hard copies and one electronic copy. The hard copies should be clear and identical. If you have to make any changes by hand, be sure to make them on all copies. You’ll also need to alert your editor that these changes are not on the electronic version. Better still, make all your corrections before printing; failing that, make them before photocopying the hard copy. You should never forget to number your manuscript with page 1 and continuing through to the end. Never begin at page 1 for each new chapter in your manuscript. While framing the electronic version of your research paper, do remove all multiple hard returns, multiple tabs, tabs before hard returns, spaces before and after tabs, spaces before and after hard returns etc. Don’t submit your entire manuscript as a single document. Save each chapter as a separate file. Save your table of contents, preface, after-word, bibliography and any appendixes as separate files. Last, but definitely not the least, label your memory stick or disk with your name, the date and the word-processing program prior to delivering the soft-copy of your manuscript.