Publication 03: Formatting

In this post, I want to cover the rather detailed subject of formatting the interior of the book so it can be printed in a traditional book form.

The first step to formatting the manuscript is to set up the page numbers.

The standard method of page numbering is to begin with page number one placed at first page of the written text.

An optional page numbering system is to have the pages before the written text given as Roman Numerals. While that option is used, my feeling is that the Roman Numeral option has a very formal appearance and feel. In short, I do not like using the Roman Numeral option in a novel. I prefer to have the front material without page numbers.

The next decision in connection with page numbering is to pick the location of the page numbers. The location of the page number is up to you, author. There are two page number locations that are commonly used. The first is at the very top of the page, on the far outside. The second is centered at the very bottom of the page.

While both locations are commonly used, my preference for the page number is to have it centered at the bottom of page.

Whether you chose the top of the page or the bottom of the page for your page number, you must give a place on the page for that number.

To do that, you, as the author, must create a header for the page number, if the number is going to be placed at the top of the page. And you should create a footer if the page number is to be on the bottom.

One more item to be noted about numbering pages is that odd numbered pages are always on the right-side page. And, conversely, even numbered pages are always on the left side page.

Now, because it is publishing standard that new chapters always begin on an odd number page, on the right side, there may be a blank, even numbered page on the left side. This is normal.

The last item about formatting the manuscript for the interior of the book is to allow for the page margins.

Depending on the physical dimensions of the final, printed book, there should be .5 inch to a 1.0-inch margins on all sides.

In addition to the top, bottom and side margins, there should a .5 inch space to account for the amount of the page that is taken up by the spine.

For that reason, when formatting the pages of the manuscript for printing, the right side pages, the odd number pages, should have an extra .5 inch space added onto the left margin. And, the left side pages, the even numbered pages should have an extra .5 inch space on the right margin.

The above information covers the basics of formatting the interior of a book manuscript in preparation for its printing. There is much more that is involved in formatting, but the information given above is the basics.