Manuscript Formatting: A Comprehensive and Easy Guide for Authors

Article Written by: Wendy Mba

You have finished writing the first draft of your book. Now what?

A completed 50,000-word novel now sits at your table with a boatload of corrections to be done. The work seems more daunting than the book itself.

Writing a Book is an exciting journey for many. Once you’ve finished writing, the next step is to publish your manuscript.

Before you send a manuscript to an agent or publisher, revise and proofread it, then follow that recipient’s submission instructions. Clear, consistent formatting makes the work easier to read.

A submission manuscript is different from a publication-ready interior. If you self-publish, prepare print and ebook editions for the specifications of your chosen platform. Penguin Random House advises authors to follow each agent’s requirements; KDP provides separate print templates.

Before formatting, use our Word Count to Page Count Calculator for a rough length estimate, and compare your draft with the planning ranges in Book Length by Genre. The final page count depends on your layout, and submission requirements vary by recipient.

The first draft you have written is just as important, but you’ll be doing yourself harm when your content lacks structure and fails to get the main point across. The story could be well written, but readers won’t enjoy reading your book when it is difficult to understand.

Publishers will state their submission guidelines if you send your book for publishing. But, if you choose to self-publish, you can hire a professional editor from ProseMedia or do it yourself by utilizing the formatting tips here to help you format your manuscript better.

Excellent grammar-checking tools you can use to edit are Grammarly, Auto Crit, and Pro Writing Aid.

Let’s get started.

In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the essential elements of formatting your book manuscript for publishers.

In this guide

Manuscript Formatting: Fonts and font size
Manuscript Formatting: Margins and spacing
Manuscript Formatting: Page Numbers and Headers/Footers
Manuscript Formatting: Chapters and Headings
Manuscript Formatting: Paragraph Formatting
Manuscript Formatting: Tables, Figures, and Images
Manuscript Formatting: Footnotes and Endnotes
Final Checks and Submission
Conclusion

Manuscript Formatting: Fonts and font size

Font and font size are significant in your book’s formatting. They both send a message on what kind of content your readers can expect. Your font choice should convey your words, meet the expectations of your readers, and be easy to read without the awareness of your readers.

You don’t want your readers to complain about the readability of the novel you spent weeks and even months writing.

Generally, serif typefaces are better for fiction and non-fiction since the serif helps readers track the words and paragraphs easily. Century and Caslon fonts are great for non-fiction pieces, while Bakerville and Garamond are better for fiction text.

If you publish children’s books, a playful typeface may suit the design, but keep the text easy to read. Your favourite MS Word font may not be the best choice for a printed book.

Below you can agree that the first text block is easier to read and more familiar in print books, while the second goes better in children’s books.

Font size affects readability and page count. If the font is too small or close together, it can be tough to read for long periods. On the other hand, if the font is too big or spread out, all the text may not fit on a single page.

The best font size and spacing for a book depend on the type of book and the audience to read it. You also have to consider the readability of your content. Not all of your readers will have a sharp vision.

Can you read easily with that font size? If the answer is yes, you’ve sorted the font size problem.

You have to go for a font that’s easy on the eye, one thick enough for readers to follow from line to line and page to page, and is fitting for the trim size of your book. Choose a font size that doesn’t eat up your pages.

If you’re self-publishing, check these details:

Choose a legible body font and consistent heading styles for print.
Set trim size, margins, and bleed for the print edition you are making.
Preview print pages and the reflowable ebook separately before publication.

Manuscript Formatting: Margins and spacing

When formatting your book, note the safety and bleed margins. Margins enhance the aesthetics and readability of your work. They protect your content from running off the page. They also ensure vital information remains during and after the trimming process.

Place text and other data within the safety margins.

For a KDP print interior, the top, bottom, and outside margins must be at least 0.25 inches without bleed or 0.375 inches with bleed. The inside (gutter) margin increases with page count, so do not set every side to the same number. Bleed also changes the page size and applies when an image or background reaches an edge. Check KDP’s current trim, bleed, and margin guide for your book’s specifications.

Line spacing is the gap between the lines of text on a page. Leave enough space between the lines so that your readers can easily follow the story.

An ample space or incomplete spacing makes the text hard to read. Line spacing can be single-spaced, 1.5, or double-spaced.

Your novel may need to be double-spaced for editors, proofreaders, and typesetters. Double-spacing your lines makes the manuscript easier to read and mark up.

For an agent submission, use the spacing requested in its guidelines. For a print interior, choose readable spacing for your trim size and preview the finished pages. For a reflowable ebook, avoid forcing body-text size and spacing; allow readers’ device settings to work.

Manuscript Formatting: Page Numbers and Headers/Footers

For a print interior, add page numbers consistently and decide where numbering should begin for your front matter and first chapter. For an agent submission, use the requested header and page-number format.

For print, page numbers can sit in a header or footer. A reflowable ebook uses a linked table of contents and adapts to different screen and font sizes, so fixed print page numbers are not a useful navigation method.

Page numbers are usually included inside your header or footer. A header is the top margin of each page, and a footer is the bottom margin of each page.

Headers and footers provide a page structure that is consistent throughout a book. Helpful information that you want to appear on every page of a document, such as your name, the title of the book, chapter titles, or page numbers.

Manuscript Formatting: Chapters and Headings

No matter what book you are writing or have written, chapters help to convey information from the author to the reader. In novels, properly utilized chapter headings can create tension, leave the reader wanting more, and allow for reflection on the events that just passed.

If your book is long, including chapters will give readers pause. It will provide a rhythm to the experience of reading.

Start each chapter on a new page in a print interior, or apply a chapter break in an ebook. The title’s position and spacing are design choices; keep them consistent rather than treating one placement as a universal rule.

Use a consistent chapter-title style in your working file so navigation and later formatting are easier. In Kindle Create, marking a chapter title can also create a new-screen break and an interactive contents entry.

Manuscript Formatting: Paragraph Formatting

The pace you use affects the mood of your story. It helps you develop ideas and themes, engages your readers, and brings them closer to the characters. Longer paragraphs slow the pace because they take longer to read.

You always sleep while reading academic materials because of the longer sentences used in formal writing, which slow down the pace and make reading a boring thing to do sometimes.

The length of a paragraph affects the readability and clarity of the text. Short paragraphs can make the flow feel choppy and difficult to follow, while long paragraphs can make the content dense and overwhelming.

Paragraph lengths are alternated between long and short to generate a sense of rhythm and emphasis. An ideal paragraph block is concise enough to contain a single idea or point but long enough to express that idea.

Spacing between paragraphs is one way to separate them visually; a first-line indent is another. Use one consistent approach that suits your format.

This method improves readability, heightens emphasis, and adds a tidy look to the passage.

Indents are another way of separating paragraph blocks. Set a first-line indent in your word processor’s paragraph style rather than inserting a tab at the start of every paragraph; the size depends on the format and design.

In many print designs, the opening paragraph of a chapter is left unindented, but follow your chosen style consistently.

Some authors prefer to leave the body text left-aligned and the right side ragged. In a published book, the wording is often Justified, but that’s after editing and proofreading, and final formatting.

Manuscript Formatting: Tables, Figures, and Images

Visual elements such as images, graphs, charts, tables, figures, diagrams, and maps capture your readers’ attention and help them to understand your ideas better.

They are illustrations that help tell your story and simplify complicated descriptions. Include images that serve the book, then check the file, resolution, bleed, and permission requirements of the publisher or platform.

Children’s books tend to have more pictures than regular novels. Textbooks may include tables, figures, graphs, and charts.

Insert images using your book-formatting software rather than positioning them with spaces or tabs. Check how they render in the print proof or ebook preview, and add meaningful alternative text when the platform supports it.

Manuscript Formatting: Footnotes and Endnotes

You’ll want to cite your sources if you are a nonfiction writer. Cite any information in your book from a source other than your experience.

Footnotes are used in nonfiction books as well as in fiction as well. Here are a few ideas:

You can reveal additional details about your world. Sometimes it might be difficult to pack all the information in your book, so why not give a few extra facts in the footnotes?
Make your world seem more real. Tolkien did this in the Lord of the Rings.
Add comments from other characters. Use footnotes as a way of letting the character comment on the text.

Adding footnotes in fiction can be a way to stand out and make your book fun to read.

Endnotes are additional information that appears at the end of your chapter or the end of your book. The purpose of endnotes is to add additional information that is useful to have but would otherwise disrupt the flow of your book.

Above all, the writing flow and the reader’s experience are most important. Endnotes allow you to maintain that flow while providing additional and crucial information.

Choose an endnote style for your book.

Use your word processor’s notes feature so numbering stays consistent, and check the citation style required for your subject or publisher.

Final Checks and Submission

Before submitting to an agent or publisher, check its instructions for the pages and files it wants. Some may ask for only a query or sample pages, while others request more material.

Leave your manuscript for a full day before checking it a final time with fresh eyes. You will spot mistakes you did not realize were present. You must check the grammar, clarity, and style of your sentences.

Other things to note during your final checks include capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. You can use Grammarly, Auto Crit, and Pro Writing Aid to run final checks.

Writing tools for a final pass

Grammarly offers grammar, spelling, and style suggestions in a browser extension or app.
Auto Crit analyzes manuscripts for common writing issues.
Pro Writing Aid offers grammar, spelling, and style suggestions.

Check the table of contents to ensure each part, chapter, and heading numbering are in the correct sequence. Update the chapter titles and subheadings if necessary.

Double-check the text and figures of your manuscript to be sure they are complete. The manuscript must not exceed the agreed-upon length. Make sure to obtain all third-party permissions. For contributed volumes, ensure that all authors have signed their Contributor Agreements.

Conclusion

Imagine your dream publishing company has accepted your book for publication. You have a team that will work on your cover design, make a test print of your book, and then proofread to ensure no hidden errors remain after editing.

Once you have worked with the publisher to get a beautiful draft of your book in print, it is time to move on to the final steps of the publishing process. The dream of every writer, and it can be a reality for you.

Use these tips as a starting point, then check the requirements for your agent, publisher, printer, or ebook platform before you submit or upload.

If you’re self-publishing, a polished reading copy is also useful when approaching reviewers. Our guide to getting an editorial review for your self-published book explains what to prepare and how to choose a reviewer. When your reading copy is ready, use our book review request template and submission checklist to plan your approach.

Done with your Manuscript it’s time for your next step, Find a Literary Agent