A question of headers

[Azure Skye]

This has probably been asked but I'll ask again.

My header looks yucky. I have it looking like this across the top of the page: Book title/My name/Page number. Slashes included. I no likie. Should it be: Book Title
My name
Page number

Or across the top, page number first? I'm assuming the page number at the bottom will now be unnecessary.

Oh, and before anyone says it, I'm not obsessing; I'm just asking for clarification. Thank you.

[scarletpeaches]

I always right-justify my head with my Surname - BOOK TITLE - page number in exactly that format. Only the title capitalised, entire header underlined.

[Marlys]

For what it's worth, I put TITLE/Name on the left, and page number on the right side of the header. I do the title/name in Header, and Insert, Page Numbers, Position: Top of page (Header), Alignment: Right. Don't check the box that would put a page number on the first page.

And right, you only need the page number in one place--if it's in the header, remove it from the bottom of the page.

[scarletpeaches]

Why on Earth wouldn't you put a page number on the first page? Unless you mean the cover?

[Marlys]

I think in Britain you use cover pages, which we generally don't over here. In the format I use, the first page has TITLE centered about a third to halfway down, with by Author's Name beneath, space down two lines, Chapter One (also centered), space two lines and begin text. Upper left corner has author's name and address, upper right genre and word count. Header and page numbers begin on page 2.

[Codger]

http://www.eclectics.com/rebecca/setup.html

This is an excellent source for manuscript format information. I honestly don't know how authoritative it is.

[Azure Skye]

Ok. That makes sense and it will look better than what I did.

Thank you all.

[ORION]

My agent and editor both have me put my LAST NAME / TITLE in the header (all caps) at the far left and the page number in the far right top. I start with 0 and do not put a page number on the title (cover page) that has my title in the center and at the bottom left all my agent contact information and in the bottom right the month and year of that current manuscript edition.
When I did not have an agent I put my name and contact info in the bottom left.
My agent (at William Morris Agency) and my editor (at Putnam) all commented on my professional looking manuscript formatting. Keep in mind they asked for everything electronically.
Hope this helps.

[Jamesaritchie]

Why on Earth wouldn't you put a page number on the first page? Unless you mean the cover?

I never put the page number on the first page. Don't really know many who do, or guidelines that say you should. The first page doesn't need a page number because it's obvious it is the first page.

[Jamesaritchie]

My agent and editor both have me put my LAST NAME / TITLE in the header (all caps) at the far left and the page number in the far right top. I start with 0 and do not put a page number on the title (cover page) that has my title in the center and at the bottom left all my agent contact information and in the bottom right the month and year of that current manuscript edition.
When I did not have an agent I put my name and contact info in the bottom left.
My agent (at William Morris Agency) and my editor (at Putnam) all commented on my professional looking manuscript formatting. Keep in mind they asked for everything electronically.
Hope this helps.

This is one of those things that probably matters not at all. I put everything flush right in hard copy. Ritchie/October/ pg 2.

As an editor, I like being able to flip trough a manuscript with my thumb and see all the header info, so it all has to be on one side or the other. For whatever reasons, right handed people usually flip through with the left hand, so having everything flush right makes it easier.

I suspect this is one of those things that's pretty much all personal preference, and that you can't really do wrong.

[scarletpeaches]

I never put the page number on the first page. Don't really know many who do, or guidelines that say you should. The first page doesn't need a page number because it's obvious it is the first page.

Well that's funny 'cause every set of guidelines I've seen has said number EVERY page.

[CaroGirl]

I never number the first page. But that might be just habit from writing school essays. I'm so used to having no numbering on the first page that it looks weird to me now.

[scarletpeaches]

Even with essays, I numbered every page.

[CaroGirl]

Might be one of those North American vs. British differences.

[scarletpeaches]

Damn you for pre-empting my next post! :D

[Marlys]

scarletpeaches--if you Google fiction submissions "number every page" you'll find a lot of citations that say something along the lines of "number every page except the first one." We're not making this up, honest.

Obviously, follow whatever guidelines you're given, whichever way they say to go. But remember that the default in Word is for no numbers on the first page, which suggests that's the standard. At least over here.

[scribbler1382]

Every set of guidelines I've ever seen has said to leave the first page numberless. Which makes sense, since if the title of a piece and your byline are in the center of a page, the editor can probably figure out it's page one.

But in the big picture, it probably doesn't matter either way.

[scarletpeaches]

scarletpeaches--if you Google fiction submissions "number every page" you'll find a lot of citations that say something along the lines of "number every page except the first one." We're not making this up, honest.

Obviously, follow whatever guidelines you're given, whichever way they say to go. But remember that the default in Word is for no numbers on the first page, which suggests that's the standard. At least over here.

I've never noticed that in Word. Mine automatically numbers every page, and even when I googled it I saw a few that said not to number of every page but most said to start at page one; it only seemed to be American based pages that said not to. In fact I found a number of American sites that say to number every page.

[Elektra]

I was going to say that a page number on the first page was pointless, since there's "Chapter One" printed right there. Then I remembered prologues. Hmmmm...

[Marlys]

Well, my copy of Word definitely has a little box one has to check to put a number on the first page. In playing with it, I just noticed that it also has the option of putting the page numbers in Roman numerals. Now, excuse me--page XLVII is waiting.

[scarletpeaches]

I don't have to do that, never have. It's always automatically numbered every page.

Roman numerals, now I did not know about that, and you know I'm gonna start playing with that to waste more writing time...