Where Do I Begin?

Today, I want to talk about a subject that seems simple but is still a major hurdle for many authors: preparing a manuscript for editing or review.

Remember my post about copyright? In it, I advised you to register the most updated version of your book. If this is your first time visiting the blog, [here is the link to that post]. Once your book is registered, you’ll need to format your manuscript in your word processor (Google Docs, LibreOffice, or Microsoft Word) using standard literary formatting. Look, I’m no “expert” formatter, but I promise—this isn’t that hard to do!

Format the Doc, Please!

Recently, I helped a fellow writer (The Phantom Writer) prepare their book for IngramSpark (IS). Their book was saved in Word, and to tell you the truth, it was a royal mess. It wasn’t intentional; they simply didn’t know the “rules.” That alone took several days to fix for a 300-page book. I had to use “toggle formatting marks” in LibreOffice (or “non-printing characters” in Docs) to hunt down extra spaces, fix broken page breaks, and properly format headings and paragraphs.

Facing the Real World

Let’s say you’re sending your manuscript to a big publishing company that accepted your query letter and asked for a sample chapter. If your document isn’t properly formatted, they’ll send it right back with a “nice” rejection letter. In another scenario, if you’re trying to export a PDF and your document isn’t formatted correctly, that PDF will be rejected by KDP, IngramSpark, or any other platform.

Show Me How

Since we’re talking self-publishing here, let’s concentrate on how to prepare your manuscript for a PDF export:

• Use Paragraph Styles: Use the tool bar to format Headings, Subheadings, and Body text. Some programs prefer headings to be size 20 or larger; this helps the software generate your Table of Contents automatically.
• Alignment: Your body text should be aligned left, while headings are usually centered.
• Indents: Make sure the first sentence of every paragraph is indented (use your Tab key!).
• Spacing: The text must be double-spaced.
• Kill the Double Spaces: Delete extra spaces between words. People who learned to type on typewriters got used to double-spacing after a period, but that is not necessary (and actually discouraged) on computers.
• Font Choice: The preferred font for most editors is Times New Roman, size 12, because of its readability.
• Page Breaks: At the end of a chapter, use a formal Page Break to start the next chapter. Don’t just hit “Enter” a bunch of times to get to the next page!

Note: If I forgot something or if you disagree with any of these points, I’d love to hear from you. Remember, I’m learning too! I don’t know it all.

Tips: For more on formatting styles, I recommend following an author who has been a great support to me: Carol Fisher Seller. I’ll leave her website link here for you.

Structuring My Book

When I rushed into publishing my first book—which was a big mistake (if you haven’t read that story, [link here])—I sent my editor a total mess of documents. Your editor or formatter will charge you by the hour; they don’t care how messy the files are because they will just bill you accordingly! Even if you’re doing it all yourself, you’ll appreciate having everything organized.

The Basic Book Structure

Front and Back Covers

Front Matter

• Title page
• Copyright page
• Quote (Optional)
• Table of Contents
• Dedication (Optional)
• Author’s Note or Prologue (Optional)

Body

• The chapters of your book

Back Matter

• Acknowledgments (Optional)
• About the Author
• Previously Published Works (if applicable)
• Glossaries or Sources

At This Point…

This “minutia” isn’t so bad, right? I actually enjoy it because when I reach this stage, it means I’m in the final countdown. My story is almost ready to hit a home run; the engines are warming up to head for the sky.

If you don’t want to deal with this and would rather pay an expert, that’s fine too! In any case, I congratulate you on finishing your book. Great job!

Chimichurri bye-bye,

Thank you for reading and following this blog. If it’s helping you, let me know in the comments! Whether you comment here or on social media, it helps me a lot. This blog is updated every Thursday and published on Fridays—save my page to your bookmarks for more. I have a list of about 200 publishing and book-related subjects to write about, so stay tuned!

Anechy Padron