The next subject which claims attention is the
PREPARATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT.
When a Manuscript intended for the Press has been written hastily, has many erasures and interlineations, or is otherwise to any extent rendered partially, or perhaps in some cases wholly illegible, the consequence will be, that if given into the hands of the Printer in that state, the Printing will be retarded, the expense of Printing increased, and much additional trouble occasioned to the Author, in correcting those errors, (should he discover them,) which a clearly written Manuscript would have entirely prevented. In such cases it would be decidedly preferable, indeed it has been found a saving both in time and expense, to have the whole fairly copied. In so doing there would besides be this additional advantage,—that the Manuscript might be again finally revised by the author[26-*] previously to its being put into the Printer’s hands; every correction which can be made in the Manuscript being a measure strongly to be recommended in every view.[27-*]
There is another point of which Authors are frequently not aware—the desirableness of their Manuscripts being written on one side only. The convenience of this is, that any Remarks, Notes, Interlineations or Directions to the Printer, may be inserted on the opposite Blank Pages; and also that in the process of Printing, it may, if needful for speed or otherwise, be divided at any given point, without danger of mistake or confusion.
In all cases it is desirable that Manuscripts intended for the press should be written as much as possible, with a tolerable degree of uniformity, each Page containing about the same number of Lines, and each Line about the same number of Words. This is certainly not essential, but it will generally be very convenient, as it will at once enable the Author to judge of the probable extent of his work, and the Printer or Publisher, when the Manuscript is completed, to decide on the quantity. To write on Ruled Paper is perhaps the most effectual mode of accomplishing this.
Another point to be attended to is, that Manuscripts should always be Paged. This will not only shew the quantity either in whole, or in part, without the trouble of counting, but will prevent mistake should any portion be misplaced.
When a Manuscript, therefore, is about to be written or copied for the Press, it would be desirable to have prepared, a Quarto Book, Ruled, with a narrow margin, and lines across, and to have it Paged beforehand, on the right hand page only, on which page only the Manuscript should be written.
It is not, however, essential that these points should be regarded, should circumstances not permit. In such cases, if legibility can be secured, other obstacles may be surmounted: there will always, however, be considerable difficulty in calculating an irregularly written Manuscript. Should a Manuscript be closely written, and insertions be necessary, it will be preferable not to interline them, but write them on a separate Paper, numbering each, and referring them to the Pages, and on the Pages to the Paper.
When a Manuscript is about to be sent to the Press, it should be finally and carefully read over by the Author, who should mark any directions he may wish attended to in the Printing, and with his pen make any words plain which may happen to be obscure, by doing which, he will frequently prevent those errors of the Press which often change the sense of a passage, and are liable to escape detection.
When the Manuscript has thus been prepared, the next step will be the