Insert a key word from the title in the top right header with the page number and your last name. Writing a manuscript in microsoft word mybestseller. Build your book format a paperback manuscript word for. Because i have written it in word, anyone can read it. Formatting a manuscript in microsoft word left hand publishers. This video explains how to write a book in microsoft word prior to submitting to an agent, writing coach, editor, or publishing company.
Once you set up your word processor, writing in manuscript format doesnt take any extra effort. Formatting a manuscript in microsoft word left hand. Please follow these steps to learn how to format a manuscript for ebook conversion. Microsoft word is universally recognized, and youre probably already familiar with it. It features styles for keeping the fonts and spacing formatted properly, a title.
If you want to write a book, you need word processing software thats up to the task. For the best results, follow the five steps in this guide. How to format a manuscript using microsoft word book editing. How to format a novel in microsoft word selfpublishing. But once you incorporate the standardized basics of formatting a manuscript in preparation for your editor, youll see that it will save both you and your editor a lot of time and frustration.
How to format your book for amazon kindle using microsoft. Authors submit manuscripts in a hodgepodge of formats. How to format a manuscript the specifics guidelines you. And you will have the ability to transform your manuscript into a beautiful. How to format your childrens book manuscript dummies. However, as a book editor, i take care of most of these things as part of my overhaul service, especially the proper. I think a template would make it a lot easier to format it and also make it look more professional, but you dont have to have one. In a few clicks, it can help you format your title page, table of contents, and individual paragraphs and change your books look and feel by applying themes. Once you find your perfect microsoft word book manuscript template, youll be ready to start typing up your book. Picture book manuscript format tends to vary widely. While fancy book writing software programs might be popular among writers, word is the standard for professionals.
In a few clicks, it can help you format your title page, table of contents, and individual paragraphs and change your books. This sample novel excerpt shows some of the ways in which novel format differs from short story format. Part of my job as a copy editor is to fix the formatting to publishers standards. If playback doesnt begin shortly, try restarting your device. Book manuscript format templates interior book design. Whats more, theyll even calculate a rounded word count for you. Book seven of the zero cost self publishing series is here. How to format a novel manuscript writing academy scribophile. Heres how to format your novel or memoir so it looks professional. Prepare, publish, promote prepare your book format your manuscript paperback submission overview build your book format a paperback manuscript word for windows in this stepbystep video guide. Achieve your writing goals by committing to writing each and every day. After you format your manuscript in word, add finishing touches with kindle create. Valuable list of all of the steps that go into building a book manuscript.
Skip a couple of lines before beginning the text of the chapter. Heres how to format your novel or memoir so it looks. With a few customizations, it can make writing your book easy. I usually use the manuscript format template in word. To support you with this final step, we prepared a downloadable checklist for you. Here microsoft word users can download and install handy files to help speed the task of formatting short story and novel manuscripts. Well walk you through the steps to format your word document for printing a book that is a 5.
Plus, once you have the basics down, you can create a book format template for future use. How to format your book for self publication bookstand. Use the format menu font to change all your text to times 12pt. How to format a manuscript for ebook conversion publishdrive. Picture book format and how to format your manuscript. How to manage and format your book manuscript in word. The goal when youre selfpublishing is to always make your book look as traditionally published as possible, so im giving you a stepby0step guide on formatting your novel.
For your manuscript it should show your last name at the left, the book title centered, and the page number to the right. Here are the basics steps on formatting your manuscript in microsoft word for self publication. See the top of this page to download a correctly sized word template to paste into if required. In the standard format, section text is doublespaced, leftaligned, and set in a 12point courier font. At the time, all novel manuscripts or other written works were handwritten. To help you format your manuscript, we created templates in microsoft word into which you can insert your content. Proper manuscript format for a novel first manuscript. You therefore need to adapt your manuscript to the format of the desired book. For one thing, a novel manuscript requires a separate title page.
In word preferences, turn on views and view all to see all the invisible paragraph marks, spaces, hidden text, tab marks, etc. The number of words, combined with the information in your. Centre the chapter title, even if its only chapter one or chapter 1, about onethird of the way down the page. Before submission, all parts of your book manuscript should be checked. Do the same for any credit text you have at the beginning of the. The fonts used in the samples are for illustrative purposes only. The word manuscript comes from the latin for handwritten. The first line of a paragraph is indented one half inch, or 5 characters, from. Things like font size, page color, word count, page number, line spacing, paragraph breakseverything that goes into the visual appearance. To download any of the templates, click on the file name. How to format your word document for book printing on mac. These steps include including setting up the correct trim size, setting up the correct margins, formatting the.
So, later on, you can select the best practices and which tools to use in your book design. Format your book manuscript in word 20 at zero cost. The term manuscript has its origins in the latin term manu scriptus, which means written by hand. Depending on your book, some steps may be unnecessary for example, your book doesnt have images. For the stylesheet to work properly and your books formatting to be consistent. Feel free to use any fonts you wish in your document, when publishing your book.
Please save each chapter as a separate file and zip the files into one file. How to format a nonfiction manuscript book editing services. Write a book manuscript that you can submit to an editor with this template for word. Then, in word 2007, word 2010, or word 20, open your book manuscript file and click file from the top menu. Now, select an area of text, such as the title in the image above, and then click on the style and your text will be changed to the new format. How to format your manuscript even if you hate computers. Your margins should be 1 all around, indents going out to. Apa formatting for academic manuscripts is a different animal.