TypetransComplete guide
What a Tor Books-style submission manuscript needs to get right
A Tor Books submission format is not a magic official layout that opens a submission door. It is a clean science fiction or fantasy manuscript prepared for the specific Tor Publishing Group route, imprint, editor request, agented submission, or open call you are actually using.
Tor Books is part of Tor Publishing Group, which includes multiple imprints and programs. A writer looking for Tor or Forge formatting usually needs two separate answers: whether the current route accepts the manuscript, and how the DOCX should look if the route asks for a manuscript file.
The formatting answer is usually conservative: standard manuscript fundamentals, clear chapters, stable page setup, and no book-interior design. The submission answer is route-specific and can change over time, so this guide treats current publisher, imprint, agent, and portal instructions as the source of truth.
- Primary use
- Speculative novel review
- Science fiction, fantasy, horror-adjacent, and related long-form manuscripts depending on imprint and route.
- Format family
- Standard manuscript format
- Plain DOCX, readable type, double spacing, margins, indents, and clear chapter starts.
- Most variable rule
- Submission route
- Agented submission, editor request, open call, portal, and imprint program rules can differ.
- Source of truth
- Current route first
- Do not assume direct unsolicited submissions are open unless the current official page says so.
Definition
Tor Books submission format is a route-specific publisher manuscript format
The phrase Tor Books submission format usually means a manuscript prepared for professional review by Tor Books, Forge Books, Tordotcom Publishing, Tor Teen / Starscape, or another Tor Publishing Group route. It does not by itself prove that a route is open or that a specific editor accepts direct submissions.
For the DOCX, the safest baseline is standard manuscript format: 12 pt readable type, double spacing, one-inch margins, first-line paragraph indents, left alignment, simple page numbering, and clean chapter starts. For the submission, the safest baseline is to follow the live route instructions.
Separate formatting readiness from submission eligibility. A clean manuscript helps only after the manuscript is being requested or accepted by the route you are using.
Source of truth
Rule priority for Tor Books or Tor Publishing Group submissions
Publisher routes are not interchangeable. A Tor Books novel, a Forge submission, a Tordotcom program, and an editor-requested file may each have different expectations.
| Priority | Source | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Current official route or imprint instructions | Follow the live Tor Publishing Group, imprint, open-call, contest, or portal instructions first. |
| 2 | Agent or editor request | If an agent or editor asks for a partial, full manuscript, synopsis, or specific file name, follow that request exactly. |
| 3 | Submission portal fields | Portal fields may replace a cover page, contact block, author bio, pitch, or synopsis attachment. |
| 4 | Standard manuscript format | Use as the default DOCX presentation when the route asks for a manuscript but gives no narrower layout rule. |
| 5 | Typetrans template defaults | Use for consistency checks. Do not treat them as proof that a submission route is open. |
Publisher context
Tor Books, Forge, Tordotcom, and related imprints are not one identical submission path
Tor Publishing Group publicly presents multiple imprints, including Tor Books, Forge Books, Tordotcom Publishing, and Tor Teen / Starscape. Those names matter because imprint positioning, audience, and acquisition routes can differ.
A writer may be preparing epic fantasy, science fiction, horror-adjacent speculative work, young adult speculative fiction, or a novella-length project. The DOCX baseline may look similar, but the correct submission path may not be the same.
That is why a useful Tor guide should not simply say 'submit your manuscript to Tor.' It should help the writer prepare a professional file while repeatedly sending them back to the current route instructions.
Tor Books
Often associated with science fiction and fantasy book publishing. Use the route that applies to the manuscript you are actually submitting.
Forge Books
May involve different genre positioning and acquisition expectations from Tor Books. Do not assume one imprint's route applies to another.
Tordotcom Publishing
Often associated with distinctive speculative publishing programs, including shorter forms at times. Check current program-specific instructions.
Tor Teen / Starscape
Audience category can change what materials are requested, even if the manuscript file still uses a standard reading format.
Use cases
When a Tor Books-style manuscript format is useful
| Situation | Use this format? | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Agent submits a full manuscript to a Tor-related editor | Yes | Agent/editor request, synopsis package, file name, contact block, and whether the agent handles front matter. |
| Publisher or editor requests a partial or full DOCX | Yes | Requested page range, chapters, synopsis, author bio, deadline, and exact attachment instructions. |
| Open call or submission window | Yes, if currently open | Eligibility, imprint, genre, length, file type, portal fields, and whether unsolicited work is accepted. |
| Cold unsolicited submission with no current route | No route confirmed | Do not rely on formatting alone. Verify whether the imprint accepts that path. |
| Self-publishing upload after deciding not to submit | No | Use KDP, EPUB, print interior, or platform-specific production formatting instead. |
Document anatomy
The parts of a clean Tor-style novel submission DOCX
Long-form publisher review needs consistency across hundreds of pages, not decorative polish.
Title page or cover page
Include only what the route asks for: title, author name, contact details, agent details, genre/category, approximate word count, and sometimes rights or series status.
Manuscript body
Use one body style across the entire file: readable 12 pt type, double spacing, first-line indents, left alignment, and no extra blank line between ordinary paragraphs.
Chapter starts
Each chapter should begin on a new page with a plain chapter heading. Avoid drop caps, ornamental dividers, running art, and print-book title design.
Scene breaks
Use a simple, consistent scene-break marker. A centered # is easy to preserve in DOCX and plain-text workflows.
Header and page numbers
A surname/title/page header is useful for review unless the route asks for a different convention or anonymous processing.
Examples
Concrete examples for a Tor-style submission file
These examples are safe defaults for a clean DOCX, not proof that a particular submission route is open.
Title page example
THE GLASS ORBIT by Rowan Vale Rowan Vale rowan.vale@example.com Agent: Mira Chen, Northstar Literary Adult science fantasy about 112,000 words Remove or change any field the route does not request.
Running header example
Vale / GLASS ORBIT / 183 Use a short title if the full title is long. If an editor or portal gives a different convention, use that convention.
Chapter start example
CHAPTER ONE The ship woke before its captain did. The chapter heading is plain. The body text begins in the same style used throughout the manuscript.
Scene break example
# Use one scene-break convention throughout the manuscript. Do not use decorative glyphs or images that may break in review workflows.
Synopsis separation
If a route asks for a synopsis, send it as instructed: separate attachment, portal field, or included after the manuscript. Do not silently append a synopsis to the DOCX unless requested.
Why the rules exist
Why publisher-review manuscripts stay plain
| Rule | Publisher-review reason | Common failure |
|---|---|---|
| Double spacing | Long manuscripts need readable pages and room for comments or conversion into internal review workflows. | Single-spaced pages copied from a self-publishing draft. |
| Plain chapter headings | Editors need structure, not interior design. | Using illustrated openers, drop caps, or inconsistent heading styles. |
| Consistent body style | Mixed pasted styles create distracting shifts across a long file. | Different fonts or spacing after importing chapters from multiple drafts. |
| Simple title page | The review route needs identity and project metadata only where requested. | Adding marketing copy, cover art, blurbs, or production notes to the manuscript file. |
| No finished-book layout | Publisher production comes later and follows house processes. | Submitting a designed paperback interior instead of an editable reading manuscript. |
Comparison
Tor-style submission format vs adjacent manuscript formats
| Format idea | Best use | Main caution |
|---|---|---|
| Standard manuscript format | General fiction baseline for agents, editors, contests, and publishers. | Still subordinate to current recipient instructions. |
| SFWA-style manuscript format | Speculative-fiction market shorthand, especially useful for short fiction and genre submissions. | Do not treat as a specific Tor acquisition route. |
| Tor Books-style submission format | Preparing a clean speculative novel DOCX for a Tor-related review route. | Do not assume direct unsolicited submissions are open. |
| Print or ebook production format | After acquisition or self-publishing decisions. | Not appropriate for an editable publisher reading manuscript. |
Variants
Submission route variations that change the file
Agented submission
The agent may handle pitch language, contact details, and package structure. The manuscript should still be clean and consistent.
Editor-requested full
Follow the editor's request for file name, deadline, synopsis, sample chapters, or full manuscript. Do not add extra material unless requested.
Open call or portal
A portal may ask for metadata separately and may reject unsupported file types. Check whether DOCX, PDF, pasted text, or another format is requested.
Anonymous review
Less common for publisher novel review than for contests, but if required, remove identifying details from title page, header, comments, and metadata.
Tool fit
What Typetrans can check for a Tor Books-style DOCX
Good fit
Body font, double spacing, margins, first-line indents, chapter heading consistency, page setup, running header, and pasted style drift.
Needs writer or agent judgment
Whether the route is open, whether the project fits the imprint, what synopsis or query material is needed, and whether contact or agent details belong in the file.
Outside this formatter
Acquisition eligibility, editorial fit, rights strategy, book design, print PDF, EPUB, cover art, and final production files.
Final check
Tor-style pre-submission checklist
Confirm the route is real and current
Find the current official imprint, agent, editor, portal, or open-call instruction before preparing the final file.
Check package boundaries
Know what belongs in the manuscript DOCX and what belongs in a query letter, synopsis, portal field, or separate attachment.
Scan the whole manuscript
Long speculative novels often accumulate formatting drift after revisions, pasted chapters, section breaks, or old template files.
Keep production design out
Use a clean reading manuscript, not a self-publishing interior, ebook package, or designed sample book.