After your work has been edited and critiqued, and you feel it's complete and ready to go, then you are ready to follow the rest of the checklist.

2. Format.

All manuscript submissions, unless otherwise noted by the agent you are submitting to, should be on 8 1/2 x 11 paper, single-sided, in twelve-point Courier Font. Always include a cover letter, briefly reminding the agent who you are and why you are sending your work. This letter should include all contact information including an address, phone number, email address and any other pertinent information.

After the cover letter, the first page should consist of your title, and name. Every page should include a header on the top right, and be numbered, followed by your last name and manuscript title. For example: 1/Collins/Dirty Little Secrets.

Make sure all your chapters start on a fresh page, and include the chapter name and title, in bold.

3. Spell Check and Grammar Check.

Almost all word processing programs come with a grammar and spell checker. Use it. This is time consuming and irritating, particularly when your grammar checker wants you to make changes that you know are wrong. Remember, it is a computer, and it isn't really reading your work. However, every time I use this tool I do find one or two mistakes that I might have missed. Even if you already did this before your work was edited, do it again. If you made any changes, the possibility of new mistakes exists.

4. Use your Find and Replace Tool.

I routinely check the entire manuscript for homonyms. Words like "then" and "than," "it's" and "its," and "their, they're," and "there" are easy to type wrong and just as easy to miss when editing. Using your find tool allows you to zero in on these words, and make sure you've used them correctly.

I also search for "that," a word that is often overused. If it's not necessary, I delete it. Other weasel words to search for are "suddenly," "felt," "realized," and "managed." Did your character manage to walk through the door, or did he just do it? And if you have to use "suddenly" to build tension, you haven't done your job as a writer.

Make sure to check for "anymore" and "everyday." "Anymore" indicates time while "any more" shows quantity. "Everyday," means routine, common, ordinary, while "every day" also indicates time.

I also check every name, to make sure my spelling stays consistent throughout the manuscript.

5. Print Out a Copy. Once your editing has been done on screen, it's essential to edit a printed copy.

"I always print my work out in hard copy because it's easier to find the punctuation mistakes. Tired eyes can mistake a comma for a period very easily when you've been staring at the computer screen for an extended period of time," said Tina Morgan, a fantasy writer from the Midwest.

Editing on screen saves both time and paper, but it is essential to read through a printed copy at least once before your manuscript is mailed. If you are concerned about saving paper or about wear and tear on your printer, remember that you only have to reprint the pages you correct (unless you edit with a cup of hot cocoa, a donut, and chocolate bars).

6. Check and Double Check.

Make sure you have the agent's name correct, double check the address and never forget your SASE. Write "requested material" on your package. This allows the agent to sort through the unsolicited manuscripts they receive.

"What I double check is that the whole package sells me as a professional," said Shirley Kawa-Jump, a contributing author to "Women on Writing—From Inspiration to Publication," a collection of articles and essays written by the members of National Association of Women Writers. "Does the letterhead look clean and crisp? Does the cover letter really punch and inspire them to read the rest? Did I put it all into a manuscript box instead of an envelope so it arrives in pristine condition? Did I double-check the address? And I always opt for Priority Tracking, too, so I can be sure it gets delivered and eliminate a phone call to the agent. Then I send it off and obsess until they call me!"

Once you've followed the steps of this checklist, you should be able to send your manuscript off with very few qualms. Now the time has come to toss and turn and wait for a response. Remember, agents are busy. Although you can't gauge the agent's reaction to your prose, you can rest confident in knowing you have done everything to make your manuscript stand out from the crowd.