The Latin expression manu scriptus (which can be translated as “handwritten” ) derived, in medieval Latin, into manuscriptum (a “handwritten text” ). Therefore, in our language, something whose writing was done manually is called a manuscript .
Typically, the concept refers to an old document or one that has special value because it is the creation of some famous or recognized personality. Since the spread of computers and printers, manuscripts are becoming less and less common.
Information that is written by hand is usually written on flexible media such as paper or, further back in time, on parchment or papyrus . The graphite of a pencil or the ink of a pen are some of the substances that allow the development of manuscripts.
In a literal sense, a handwritten letter is a manuscript. In any case, as we pointed out above, the notion is most frequently used with respect to an ancient text, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls (created between 250 BC and 66 AD) or the Voynich Manuscript (developed in an unknown language).
The original text that makes up a publication is also usually mentioned as a manuscript. The works that are submitted to a literary contest, in this framework, are identified as manuscripts, even when they have been developed in a word processor and sent by email. This shows that there are manuscripts, therefore, that are not handwritten.
Literary contests represent a great opportunity for writers who have not yet published any of their works, since it not only gives them this opportunity but also gives them a sum of money with which to finance their next book, while the first one is being published. sells in bookstores.
In the case of collections of poems, short story books and novels, among other works of a certain length, it is normal that among the requirements is the delivery of a moderately laid out document , including an index, so that the review by the jury be similar to the experience of reading a finished book. However, it is important to understand that they do not expect to find a final product, but rather they contemplate the presence of certain errors, which will be polished in the pre-publication stage.
This point alone is crucial for many writers who do not decide to send their manuscripts because they feel that they have not yet been corrected enough. One of the best tips for them is to settle for a satisfactory level of consistency, without worrying about any rough edges it may have. The winning book always goes through a correction stage in the hands of the publishing professionals, and then elements of the story and even the title can change.
This does not mean that we can send a " draft ", that is, a set of unstructured annotations that only we understand. The manuscript must be well organized and corrected, although there are still details to polish. Furthermore, the attitude of the participant when entering a contest must be that of a seller convinced of his product: in the letter with the description of the work we must find the balance between confidence and arrogance.
The writer's job is not easy, and contests cannot give opportunities to everyone. That is why it is so important to send manuscripts to different publishers to ask them to consider publishing them, although success in this way is also very unlikely. In this case, even an unfavorable response is a resource to be treasured, since it can help us improve the work and send it again with more security.