While preparing your manuscript for publication, there are a few things to keep in mind to make your publisher’s/your own life a bit easier when book design time comes. Here are my top 6:
1. Run Spell check
2. Run Grammar check (keep in mind – neither of these checks can substitute for the expertise of a professional copyeditor)
3. Turn on Formatting marks to see odd areas where spacing may be off such as missing spaces causing a word to look misspelled, or too many spaces (2 instead of 1 or 3 instead of 1).
4. Only use Hard Returns at the end of a paragraph, NOT the end of each line like a typewriter.
5. Quick margin and page setting to book trim size, for example if your file is letter size then change settings to book sizes you’re interested in and view how the text shifts and moves. If you have a specific idea of text placement, this will identify any problem areas.
6. Do not use Spaces or Tabs to indicate an indented paragraph; change paragraph settings to first line hanging .25″.
Do you have any other tips you’d like to share?
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ABOUT CHERI BREEDING: Since 2005 Cheri Breeding has been working as the Director of Production for Outskirts Press. In that time, she has been an instrumental component of every aspect of the Production Department, performing the roles of an Author Representative, Book Designer, Customer Service Representative, Title Production Supervisor, Production Manager and, Director of Production. She brings all that experience and knowledge, along with an unparalleled customer-service focus, to help self-publishing authors reach high-quality book publication more efficiently, professionally, and affordably. |
Self Publishing Advisor 
Good Idea! Specially those consider Self publishing their work. Worth reading to achieve the quality & standard of publication.