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Prepare, Publish, Promote
Prepare Your Book
Format Your Manuscript
Paperback Submission Overview
Paperback Manuscript Templates
Paperback Manuscript Templates
To help you format your manuscript, we created templates in Microsoft Word into which you can insert your content. For the best results, follow the five steps in this guide. Depending on your book, some steps may be unnecessary (for example, your book doesn't have images).
Video: Templates for paperback formatting
Video: Templates for paperback formatting
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Choose a templateDecide what kind of template you want and find your trim size. You can download blank templates or templates with sample content. The blank templates have the page size and margins set. If you want help formatting the other parts, see our step-by-step guides for preparing your manuscript in Word for Windows and Mac. The templates with sample content include formatted front matter (e.g., title page, table of contents) and chapters with placeholder text. You'll customize the parts you want to keep and delete the sections you don't.The most common trim size for paperbacks in the US is 6" x 9" (15.24 x 22.86 cm), but you have several trim size options. If you're unsure which size to pick, find books with content similar to yours to get an idea of what readers expect. To find your template, click Download, open the ZIP folder, choose your language and trim size. Download (Blank templates) Download (Templates with sample content) Does your manuscript contain images or graphics that bleed to the edge of the page? If so, you need to increase the page size. Add 0.125" (3.2 mm) to the width and 0.25" (6.4 mm) to the height. For example, if your trim size is 6" x 9" (15.24 x 22.86 cm), set the page size to 6.125" x 9.25" (15.54 x 23.46 cm). To change the page size in Word:
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Customize front matterTips for formatting front matter:
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Customize chapter pagesTips for formatting chapter pages:
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Add page numbers to table of contentsAfter you finish customizing the rest of your book, find the page numbers on which each chapter begins. Then add them to the table of contents page. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pre-publication checklist
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