After a long weekend of dedicating yourself to the story writing, you finally step out of the study room. Phew, you take a deep breath. Creating a written masterpiece is no joke, you think to yourself. It caused a severe burnout, undoubtedly.
You somehow manage to turn towards the bedroom and lie down to get some quality sleep. However, as soon as you hit the bed, a thought comes in floating. It said, ‘You still have to go through the editing and proofreading processes’, and your eyes were no longer lethargic.
They were wide open with traces of panic in them. Perhaps it was the terror of another extensive task which swept away everything other thought. Is formatting that intimidating? Relax. We have your back. So, loosen out a little. Get yourself a restful nap, and in the meantime, we will gather some smooth ways for you to navigate through the book-formatting journey.
Book Formatting – One Step At A Time
To make sure that the practice is executed appropriately, we are here with some crucial tips approved by many Book formatting services. So, let us begin:
Basic Rule Number 1: Primarily, the most basic rule is to understand the purpose of formatting a script. Why are you doing it anyway? The answer is straightforward. It is to facilitate the readers’ experience and make sure that the outlook is pleasant.
Basic Rule Number 2: Other than the hardback cover, the inside of the book also needs to have a seamless presentation. Every element, like the Table of Contents, should be in place, or else readability will diminish instead of being enhanced. All the mistakes will eventually distract the attention of the reader from the plot, and this is no less than a disaster for your novel.
Basic Rule Number 3: Moving on, the target audience must be considered while editing, as they have a huge say in the styling of a text. For example, when you write a script for kids, the line spacing, font size and layout will be far more different. Hence, no compromises on the professional outlook.
Finally, when you start reviewing the text, you need to do it very cautiously.
Overall Review
First, you need a perfect balance between practical readability and aesthetic looks. Therefore, you must make sure that the raw script is completely adhering to the expected standards of book publishers. In the big picture, your first step is to:
- Contemplate the text and observe it for any mismatched order of events.
- Look at the sequence of content in the table to see if that validates with the rest of the script.
- Check the title page, acknowledgement, series of chapters, and glossary to see if they are present.
- Notice headers and footers for accuracy.
Paragraph Analysis
Before moving on, make sure everything is under control and checked carefully for coherence. In addition, you must be vigilant with the space that is left for binding edges and in between paragraphs. Then, the font types and their sizes should not be too distracting as they can sway all the attraction from the content. You also need to:
- Check that all the illustrations are relevant, high-resolution and suitably aligned with text.
- Ensure the scenes have breaks by using spaces and small icons in the centre.
- Make sure there are no unattended widows and orphans.
- Look for transition words, as this is a major factor contributing to readability.
- Make certain that no paragraphs are crossing the acceptable range of five to ten lines.
Line-by-Line Checks
While you are at this stage, you treat every line as a new assignment. This means that you have to push back all other thoughts and only focus on the technicalities that can go wrong in a line. For instance, you can go looking for punctuation marks or capitalisation errors for all nouns. Moreover, there can be grammatical mistakes or unnecessary usage of abbreviations. Below are more points to take into consideration:
- Make sure that no sentences contain more than 22-25 words.
- Keep the verb-to-word ratio higher in all your sentences.
- Increase the usage of strong verbs like ‘mutter’ and ‘create’ instead of say and make.
- Look out for the uneven distribution of spaces between words.
- Study all citations and check whether they are relevant/true.
Aiming Every Word
For this approach, many self-publishing companies UK have suggested that you start the search from the last sentence. It is helpful because you have already read the paper quite a few times, and your brain is used to the text. This results in a higher chance of omitting mistakes. Hence, try this and look for mistakes in words such as:
- There should be no vague or general words used to describe. Replace them with precise ones.
- Do not use very scientific terminologies if the book is for kids or teenagers.
- Your examples must be simple so that the audience can relate well.
- The language has to be formal and professional, so make sure no slang is used.
- Check twice for spelling errors, as they are the easiest to miss.
A Few Recommended Software
According to experts, there is no software that they can pin to be the best. Rather, every one of them is exceptional, and it is you who decides what perfectly aligns with your needs. So, observe your budget and comfort first. The options are:
- Microsoft Word – commonly used and suitable for basic editing.
- Adobe InDesign – a versatile and expensive app that tackles complex layouts.
- Scrivener – has robust features for organising larger tasks and is popular among authors.
- Google Docs – a free platform with cloud storage and tools for sharing your work.
What is the standard book format?
The standard format set is 8.5 inches by 11 inches on an A4 sheet. In addition, the advised font size is between the ranges of 10 and 12 points. It works fine with all sorts of scripts.
Which is the generally most preferred font?
Speaking of font, the most crucial element is legibility. It refers to the clarity that enables the reader to comprehend the text. Hence, the suggested typography names are Sans Serif, Caslon and Palatino. All of them are great for manuscript writing.
Is book formatting difficult and extensive?
There is no sure short answer to this question. The process can be challenging if you are a beginner because you will learn from your mistakes on the go. However, with the help of the right software, you can speed up the practice.
How costly can the formatting be at maximum?
At an upper level, if you look closely, the prices can be as high as $1,500, but this is for complex manuscripts only. The initial price range for getting basic editing done is between one hundred and three hundred dollars. Hence, as the intricacy increases, prices also elevate.
Final thoughts
In summation, we can deduce that the formatting of a book has an elongated list of essentials. Beginning from the examination of overall alignment to paragraph indentations to page styling and typographical errors for a relaxing reading experience.
However, never undermine the significance of letting a third person read the text and edit it for you. The fresh perspective that they bring will help you in ways you might not have imagined. It is truly invaluable to have support from a trusted friend, a beta reader or an expert.
Lastly, you need to save the file in a PDF form so that the frame is locked and appears precisely how you want on other screens. Also, try to print a spare copy for testing. In this way, you can determine the quality of both text and images.
So, do you feel confident now? We hope you do. Best of luck with your script. We pray that it does wonders on every platform!
