One of the most intimidating aspects of writing any kind of manuscript is knowing how to format it properly so that it is more readable and looks much more professional. Formatting is the term writers use to refer to how a manuscript is written. Letter fonts, margins, paragraph indents and spacing, images, title page layout, page alignment, page numbers, table of contents etc; all of these things are some important parts of formatting a manuscript. Let’s start with the basic idea of formatting consistency: alignments, indents, spacing and fonts.

If you are using a left side alignment throughout the manuscript, this should hold true for each page unless there is a specific point that would require changing the alignment to the centered, right or justified. Most writers typically use either justified or left side alignment but whichever one you are more comfortable with using is fine; just be consistent. The same idea holds true for indents and spacing. If you are using an indent, make sure it is set prior to writing so that you don’t have to think about it and inadvertently add extra spaces or use too few spaces. Spacing between paragraphs should be treated with the same care by setting the proper spacing prior to writing.

Although indents and spacing may not seem like it could cause a problem with reading, it does. The problem lies in the act of writing. Authors tend to get caught up in their thought process and may forget something so simple as hitting the tab button in order to indent or hitting the return button twice to create a double space which would inevitably cause the document to look unkempt and staggered. These minor problems can be solved quickly by opening the ‘Format’ tab at the top of the Word Program you are using and selecting ‘Paragraph’ and adjusting each section according to your individual needs for your manuscript.

Fonts are another basic feature that can make a document look great, haphazard or unprofessional. When selecting the font, you should choose the one you like but you should also consider your target audience. If your target audience lies withing the younger age ranges it would probably make more sense to use a clear cut type set like Courier, Liberation or Times because a young child is more than likely not going to have the ability to read any of the scripts that resemble Cursive style writing.

After selecting the font and font size (usually 8, 10 or 12 are good), use the same font style consistently throughout the document unless you are trying to make a specific point. When changing the font to make a point, the only change that should be made is either by using the Bold, Italic, Underline or Highlighting feature. Even when using one of the extra features to deliver a point you should only use one of them rather than a combination that could make the writing look messy rather than accentuating the font.

The most important thing to remember about formatting is to keep it consistent and don’t be afraid to stick with the basics until you are used to the different styles that can be used. If you are uncertain about specific formatting when publishing with specific companies, look in the forum or community section of the publishing website. Most self publishing and distribution websites have example documents with the correct layout already preset that you can easily look through to get a better understanding of what they expect to see in a manuscript.

Remember, consistency in the formatting is the key to a decent looking manuscript and can determine whether or not a reader will enjoy the work and whether or not the company will accept the work.