Definition
A manuscript is the complete written text of a book before it is typeset and published. In trade publishing, it usually refers to the author's polished draft ready for submission or editing.
Example
An agent requests the full manuscript after liking the query letter and sample chapters.
Related terms
Common mistakes
- Submitting a rough first draft and calling it a finished manuscript.
- Confusing manuscript with published book files such as EPUB or print PDF.