A clean, well-organized manuscript is faster and cheaper to format — and reduces the chance of errors carrying through into your finished book. Here’s exactly what to do before you send your file over.
Start from one clean file
Send a single, final Word (.docx) or Google Docs file per book — not a folder of chapter-by-chapter documents. Merge everything first, and make sure it’s the version you actually want formatted.
Use styles, not manual formatting
This is the single biggest time-saver. Use Word’s built-in Heading 1 / Heading 2 styles for chapter titles, instead of manually bolding and enlarging text. Manual formatting has to be stripped out and rebuilt by hand; proper styles convert cleanly into both print and eBook layouts.
Mark your structure clearly
Make it obvious where each chapter starts, where scene breaks fall (a centered “***” is standard), and where front matter ends and Chapter One begins.
Supply images separately
If your book includes illustrations, maps, or photos, send the original image files separately at the highest resolution available, rather than only the versions pasted into Word. Note where each image should appear.
Decide your front and back matter
Before formatting starts, confirm what you want included: title page, copyright page, dedication, table of contents, acknowledgments, about-the-author page, and any back-matter pages.
Pre-submission checklist
- One final, proofread manuscript file
- Chapter titles tagged with Word’s built-in Heading styles
- Scene breaks marked consistently throughout
- Images supplied separately at full resolution, with placement notes
- A decided list of front and back matter pages
- Target platforms confirmed — KDP, IngramSpark, Kindle, or all three
