At Bushel & Peck, I see a lot of manuscripts. Trust me, it’s A LOT. And when I’m teaching or working with clients, I see even more.

Here’s a thing that comes up way more often than it should: writers send me files named things like:

• PB_final_FINAL_revised.docx
• my story.pdf
• New Document (7).docx
• untitled.doc

When I download ten, twenty, or thirty submissions at once, everything lands in the same folder. If I need to find yours again later or forward it to a teammate for a second opinion, I end up renaming your file or guessing which “final revised” one was the honeybee book.

Make it easy for me to find yours fast. Here’s what actually helps: LastName_Title_PB.docx

That’s it. Your last name, the title, and “PB” so it’s clear this is a picture book manuscript (not a résumé or sample pages from another project).

Good examples:

• Chen_RooftopStars_PB.docx
• Patel_HowBeesWork_PB.docx
• Rodriguez_SleepingInTheCity_PB.docx

Why this works:

• I can see whose manuscript it is without opening it
• I can see what the book is called
• I know it’s a picture book
• If I forward it to our art director or save it in a project folder, the file name still makes sense

One more thing: if your title is super long, shorten it. “TheIncredibleAdventureOfAVeryTinySnail” reads worse than “TinySnailAdventure_PB.docx.”

This applies to your manuscript pages too. Put your name and email in the header or footer, and add page numbers. If pages get separated from your email, I still know whose work I’m reading.

Is this a relatively minor thing? Sure, but small things add up when you’re trying to get someone’s attention in a busy inbox.

Have a smart filename convention you love? Drop it in the comments.