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What is a manuscript?

A manuscript is a written or typed text used to document information, stories, poems, books, screenplays or other written works. Manuscripts can be handwritten on paper or created digitally in word processing programmes.

Here are some common uses of manuscripts:

Book manuscript: A book manuscript is the original text written by an author to create a book. It contains all the chapters, paragraphs and information that will appear in the final book version.

Screenplay: A screenplay manuscript is written by screenwriters and serves as a template for films, television programmes or plays. It contains dialogue, plots, scene descriptions and instructions for actors and directors.

Scientific manuscript: In scientific research, scientists produce scientific manuscripts to publish their research results and findings in journals. These manuscripts often follow specific formatting and citation guidelines.

Poetry manuscript: Poets create poetry manuscripts to organise and prepare their poems for publication or lectures.

Lecture manuscript: Speakers create lecture manuscripts to prepare their speech or presentation. The manuscript contains the text that the speaker will use during the talk.

Novel manuscript: Writers create novel manuscripts to develop long narratives or novels. These manuscripts can be extensive and go through several versions through editing and revision before they are published.

Manuscripts often serve as working documents and drafts that are then revised and edited before being published or otherwise presented. In many cases, manuscripts are not intended for the public, but are used by authors, researchers or creatives to organise and shape their work. Only after careful editing and revision do they become works in the public domain.