Scribd
Upload
5 views

Formating book on google word

The document provides detailed instructions for formatting a manuscript in Microsoft Word, including setting margins, font, line spacing, and paragraph indentation. It outlines the structure for a title page, chapter formatting, scene breaks, page numbers, and the use of italics versus underlining. Additionally, it includes a final checklist before submission and notes the differences between traditional publishing and self-publishing formatting requirements.

Uploaded by

jimena.lopez.lopez.castro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
5 views

Formating book on google word

The document provides detailed instructions for formatting a manuscript in Microsoft Word, including setting margins, font, line spacing, and paragraph indentation. It outlines the structure for a title page, chapter formatting, scene breaks, page numbers, and the use of italics versus underlining. Additionally, it includes a final checklist before submission and notes the differences between traditional publishing and self-publishing formatting requirements.

Uploaded by

jimena.lopez.lopez.castro
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

1.

Set Up Your Document

1.​ Open Microsoft Word → Start with a blank document.


2.​ Margins: Go to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins, and set all margins to 1 inch.
3.​ Font: Use a professional, readable font like Times New Roman or Garamond, size 12 pt.
4.​ Line Spacing: Set it to double-spaced for easy reading and editing (Home > Line Spacing >
2.0).
5.​ Paragraph Indentation:
○​ DO NOT use tab spaces for indentation.
○​ Instead, go to Home > Paragraph Settings > First Line Indent: 0.5 inches.
6.​ Alignment: Keep it left-aligned (NOT justified).

2. Title Page

●​ Center everything on this page.


●​ Include:
○​ Book Title (Biggest text, bold, all caps)
○​ Your Name (or pen name, a few lines below)
○​ At the bottom, your contact info (for agents/editors), including email and word
count.

Example:

csharp

CopyEdit

THE SHADOW PROPHECY

by

[Your Name]
[Your Email]

[Your Phone Number]

Word Count: 85,000

3. Chapter Formatting

●​ Start each chapter on a new page (Ctrl + Enter to insert a page break).
●​ Chapter title should be centered and bold (e.g., "CHAPTER ONE").
●​ Leave four to six lines before the chapter text starts.

Example:

sql

CopyEdit

CHAPTER ONE

The wind howled through the ancient ruins, carrying whispers of


forgotten gods.

4. Scene Breaks

●​ If there’s a scene break within a chapter, use three centered asterisks (***) or a blank line.
●​ Do NOT just use extra paragraph spaces (they can disappear in formatting).

Example:

diff
CopyEdit

***

5. Page Numbers & Headers

●​ Go to Insert > Page Numbers → Choose "Top of Page" (Right-aligned).


●​ DO NOT put page numbers on the title page. Start them from Chapter One.
●​ For traditional publishing, add a header with your last name and book title:
○​ Example: Smith | The Shadow Prophecy | Page 12

6. Italics vs. Underlining

●​ Use italics for thoughts, telepathic speech, or emphasis (not underlining).

Example:​
csharp​
CopyEdit​
*This is a terrible idea*, she thought.

●​

7. Final Check Before Submission

✅ Save as .docx or .doc (preferred for agents & publishers).​


✅ Run Spellcheck & Grammar Check (Word’s built-in tool).​
✅ Use Find & Replace to check for double spaces (Ctrl + H, type two spaces in "Find," one space
in "Replace").

Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Formatting


📖 Traditional Publishing: Follow manuscript format (as listed above).​
📖 Self-Publishing: You’ll need proper ebook/paperback formatting (Word is not the best for
this—use Vellum, Scrivener, or Kindle Create).

You might also like