Using the correct formatting for your book manuscript can help your book look more professional when it’s being reviewed by an editor or considered by a literary agent; moreover, if you’re paying for a professional editor and the book is incorrectly presented, they’ll clock up more hours formatting your book – meaning more of your hard-earned money – trying to bring your manuscript’s layout up to par instead of concentrating on the text and flow of ideas.

Use the following formatting tips and make your book stand out for all the right reasons.

General Layout

Title page

At the beginning of your manuscript is the title page, which contains the title of the book, in a larger font than the rest of the text and approximately a third of the way down the page; your legal name*; word count; and contact details such as email address and phone number, so that the agent or publisher can follow up with you.

*Note: if you’re planning on using a pen name for your book, then first introduce yourself using your real name. Underneath the title and byline, add your pen name, as per the following example:

The Secret to Long Life

By J Lund

(Writing as Norman Fitz)

You can also write this is "w/a Norman Fitz".

There’s no hard-and-fast rule dictating whether your contact information is centred in the middle of the page or aligned to the left at the top or bottom of the page, although the most common method Is to put the contact details at the top of the page, before writing the title.

Because this information is for the publisher and will not appear on the title page of your published book, it’s not critical to follow set rules, as long as all the information is available to the publisher.

Page numbers

Apply numbering to the pages. Don’t number the front matter; that is, the title page, introduction or foreword. Start your numbering at the first chapter of your book. To do this, simply go to the Insert tab in Word or Google Docs.

Margins

Set a one-inch margin around the document. You can do this in the Layout tab in recent versions of Word, under ‘Margins’. Word documents are usually set up with a one-inch margin by default. To adjust the margins in Google Docs, go to the option File in the top menu, scroll down to Page Setup and choose the margin width you’d like.

Main text

Line spacing

To make it easier for an agent or publisher to scan your manuscript, use double line spacing throughout the document.

Font & font size

Times New Roman is the most common font to use for a manuscript, or choose a similar serif font. The font size should be 12.

Sentences

Use a single space after a full-stop, in between sentences. Once upon a time, a double space was used following a full-stop but your editor will not thank you for it.

Body text placement

Left justify the main body of text.

Paragraph formatting

There are two routes to paragraph formatting non-fiction books: indented or block paragraphs. Some authors indent each new paragraph – except for the first paragraph of a new chapter, scene or section – so that the reader can easily spot where one paragraph ends and the next one begins. Others opt for no indentation, instead adding an extra line between paragraphs. Remember that if you choose this option, it will mean extra pages, and therefore, most likely additional cost when printing your book.

Headings

Ensure that headings are formatted correctly by going to the home tab (in Word) and selecting Heading 1 or Heading 2 for sub-headings in the Styles gallery. In Google Docs, you can find the command in the toolbar at the top of the page; alternatively, go to Format, Paragraph Styles and choose Heading 1 or Heading 2. This allows the designer to view the document more easily and to automatically insert the headings into the book’s Table of Contents.  

Chapters

At the close of each chapter, manually add a page break; never hit return to create the page break as this creates a headache for your book designer. The page break command can be found under Insert in Word and Google Docs.

Section breaks/new scenes

To add a section break, i.e., signal a change in direction, thought or introduce a new idea within a chapter, you can use three asterisks, like this: * * *. Some authors use a single # symbol to indicate a section break.

Endnotes & footnotes

Endnotes and footnotes offer readers additional details about the information you’re imparting, such as references to people you’ve quoted or suggested reading that will further enhance a reader’s knowledge of the topic you’re talking about. Endnotes lie at the bottom of a page, while footnotes come at the end of the book. How to choose?

In general terms, endnotes are more reader-friendly, since it means that they don’t have to skip to the back of the book to find out more while trying not to lose the thread of what they’re reading. However, endnotes come in handy when there is a lot of additional information that the reader might want to consider. So think about how much explanatory material you want to impart; if it’s a single line or a short sentence or two, these are best placed at the bottom of a page as a footnote. For longer notes, or if there are copious amounts of additional information you want to add to your book, endnotes are the way to go.

You can add footnotes and endnotes easily in Word (by going to the References tab) or in Google Docs, you can go to Insert to add footnotes.

Finishing your manuscript

Complete your manuscript by typing “The End” after the final sentence. This ensures that whoever reads it next, be it an editor, agent or publisher, will know that they’ve come to the final page of the book and there are no missing pages.

Graphics & Breakouts

Never embed images, artwork, charts, etc. into your main manuscript; instead, use a separate file and indicate where in your book you’d like the image to appear. Use parenthesis (brackets) in the manuscript to instruct the designer where you’d like the image to appear, along with any captions. Our designers will do the rest.

The instructions should look something like this:

(Image file: chapter X-image- [insert image number, ensuring that the corresponding image is numbered correctly]-description of image or file name, Caption: [insert your caption here], Special instructions: [i.e., centre image])

Non-fiction books often benefit from breakouts: page elements that contain text, used to highlight certain key points. These are usually written in a different font or have a different background colour and border to make them stand out from the rest of the text. These can be used at the end of each chapter or within the chapter to emphasize important information and/or key takeaways. They help readers to digest and retain information, or to look back at a glance.

Don’t use formatting such as text boxes in your manuscript to signify a breakout, as these can be a nightmare for an editor – leave it to the designer to make breakouts look pretty on the page; simply use bold or italics to make them stand out for the editor or designer, with an instruction telling them that this should be a breakout section, if it’s not immediately obvious.

Remember to use graphics and visual elements sparingly within your book. They should be used to enhance the text rather than replace it. Too many will distract your readers.

Note: If want your book to contain illustrations, do an internet search for something suitable, ensuring that you’ve acquired the rights to use it within your book. You may have to contact the person who owns the copyright to it, and ask for permission. Otherwise, you can commission illustrations for a reasonable price by using a freelance service and requesting an illustration.

Final thoughts…

In non-fiction, the rules on formatting text aren’t hard and fast and often authors are able to be more creative in the way they present their work. However, please leave detailed formatting to the person designing your book, who’ll know what looks best, and the dos and don’ts of how to format your manuscript.

If you have a specific publisher in mind, they might have their own style guide. Do your research and follow the guidelines in place for the publisher you choose to work with.

And finally, when saving your manuscript be sure to name the document with the title of your book and your name or initials to make it easier for the publisher to identify your book amongst the countless book proposals they receive.

Have your book edited by a professional proofreader. Contact Wellness Books to get started today at info@wellnessbooks.co.uk.