The Author's Playground
❤️ Welcome to The Author's Playground
by Davene LG! 😊
Many a writer's journey starts with exploring what it means to;
✒️ write 🖋,
✂️ edit 🖍,
📥 format 📤,
📦 publish 📚,
and
📉 market 📈
their stories.
The Author's Playground will endeavor to act as a checklist
and share a little insight into each step to aid anyone seeking to join the Writing Community.
💌 I look forward to hearing from you! 💌
P.s. Follow me on Instagram or Threads: DvAuthor for updates on my work, workouts, random thoughts, promos, and playlists.
1. Basic Format
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 31:
“Versions;
1. Kindle.
The formatting for your Kindle Version will differ to that of a Paperback and Hardcover.
2. Paperback.
Make sure to save separate Word Documents for your Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover Versions.
(Also, make sure to save the fully formatted versions as PDFs as well.)"
2. Page Layout
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 32:
“Layout (typically the same for Kindle & Paperback);
1. Orientation.
The most common selected orientation would be Portrait. Landscape works well for children's illustration books.
2. Size.
Check out the book sizes in your genre, and select the best fit for your book. The smaller the size, the thicker the book, but the larger the seize, the tougher it will be to carry.
Make sure to check the size availability on Amazon before choosing the paper size of your pages.
3. Margins.
If you are struggling to set your margins, plug in the following numbers into your Word Document.
For Portrait, Page Size 5.5" x 8.5"
Under Layout > Section, Section Start: New Page
Under Layout > Headers & Footers:
Select Different First Page
Header & Footer: 0.3"
Under Layout > Page, Vertical Alignment: Top
Apply To: This Section
Under Margins > Margins
Top: 0.88"
Bottom, Left, & Right: 0.5"
Gutter: 0.13"
Gutter Position: Left
Under Margins > Pages, Multiple Pages: Normal
Apply To: This Section
You can start here and adjust as needed for your page size."
3. Headers & Footers
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 33:
“Heads & Tails;
1. Headers.
Should start not on the first page of your book, but rather on the first page of your story.
(There should be no Headers on your Kindle, only Paperback and Hardcover)
2. Footers/Page Numbers.
Footers should include page numbers and start on the first page of your story. Ensure the previous page has a page break and section break otherwise the numbers will follow the previous page.
On the pages you do Not wish to show page numbers;
Select Page Number > unselect Show Number On First Page
On the pages you Do wish to show page numbers;
Select Format Page Number > Start at: (fill in the page number, and don't forget to count the pages that are not numbered in between.)
The easiest is to center your page numbers, but you can also select your page numbers to appear on the left and right side of the page. Make sure the page numbers are outward, away from the book binding side of your work.
(There should be no Page Numbers on your Kindle, only Paperback and Hardcover)
4. Indents
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 34:
“No Space Bar;
1. Indents.
Without pressing the space bar or tab key, go to
Format > Paragraph > Indentation
Left: 0.25"
Special: First Line, By: 0.25"
1. Spacing.
For a Novel, spacing at 1.15" between paragraphs works.
5. Breaks
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 35:
“Breaks Between Pages;
1. Page Breaks.
A useful means to keep all you want on a page on that specific page without jumping to the next page.
2. Section Break.
You can use both Page Breaks and Section Breaks at the bottom of a page, however Section Breaks helps more with page numbering.
6. First Few Pages
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 36:
“Start Before The Start;
1. Title Page.
Typically includes the Book Title (and Subtitle), perhaps some fancy art or symbol, and the author(s) name(s).
2. Copyright Page.
Should include the Book Title (and Subtitle), © symbol infant of the published year and then author(s) name. An 'all rights reserved' paragraph, a permission contact email, A 'this is fiction' paragraph for Fiction paragraph, credit mention to any Editors and Book Cover and/or Illustration Artists, the ISBN number (for paperbacks and Not added on Kindle version), and what number Edition the book is (if unpublished and published again then it would 'Second Edition' for example, followed by the month and year of the publication.)
3. Empty Page.
Depending on your page numbering, an empty page should be included before and after your Dedication page.
Although some authors prefer to add an Acknowledgements page at the end of their book instead of before the start.
4. Table of Contents Page.
Make sure the page numbers and Titles in your Table of Contents correspond to those in your book, and for Kindle do your best to add hyperlinks to your Titles.
There should be an empty page before an after your Table of Contents page regardless of whether or not you have a Dedications page at the start. Make sure not to have double empty pages one after the other or you could end up paying for a blank section in your book.
5. Kindle Pages.
No empty pages needed for your Kindle version.
7. Hyperlinks
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 37:
“Beam Me;
1. Table of Contents Hyperlinks
For those using Word Document, creating hyperlinks for your Kindle is quick and easy once you get the hang of it.
First select Insert and then Links and Bookmark. Under Bookmark add your Table of Contents headings names one at a time. Next go to the first Title in your document, highlight and select hyperlink. Select 'This Document' (to the right of 'Web Page or File') and press the arrow next to 'Bookmarks' then scroll down and select the Book Title that corresponds with the Title you highlighted in your document. The result should be an underlined Title in your Table of Contents and the ability to click on the Title and it send you to the corresponding Title in your document. Do the same for each Title in your Table of Contents. I highly recommend only doing this step when you are certain you will no longer be making any changes to your Table of Contents, document's Titles, and page numbers.
8. Drop Caps
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 38:
“Cap On;
1. Drop Caps
If you wish to add a touch of style to the first letter of your manuscript and every first letter of each chapter then Drop Caps are the best!
Select Insert and then Drop Caps after highlighting the letter you wish to alter. Keep in mind that certain fonts, esp. cursive don't always work as well with Drop Caps.
A lot of the formatting comes down to Drop Caps options, which when selected will ask you the Font, Lines to Drop, and Distance from Text.
I find Lines to Drop: 2 and Distance from Text: 0.05" works well, however you may wish for your Drop Caps to increase in size so that its length runs down 3 or more lines vertically and perhaps you wish more distance between your Drop Capped letter and the rest of your document or manuscript's text.
9. New Paragraphs
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 39:
“Enter Key;
1. Another New Paragraph
If you grew up like me with the rule of four sentences per paragraph then this step is absolutely for you.
When writing your manuscript keep an eye out that each paragraph centers around one topic, character, and/or line of dialogue.
Personally, I try to cap my paragraphs at no less than two sentences and no more than five sentences each.
No matter the parameters you decide on, be consistent throughout your manuscript and avoid run-on sentences.
10. Align Left or Justify
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 40:
“Align or Justify;
1. Justified
Justifying your manuscript so that the words start at the same point on the left and end at the same point on the right would be the industry standard.
However, great caution must be taken to make sure that the ends of each sentence don't spread out with huge gabs between each of the words.
2. Align Left
Setting your margin and aligning your text to the left means that while each sentence on the left forms a straight vertical line, the right side will look jagged.
Even though this option might not be the most aesthetically pleasing it can be a huge relief to those who are dyslexic, for example.
11. Quotes & Apostrophes
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 41:
“These Two Are Not The Same;
1. Quotes and Apostrophes
First and foremost make absolutely sure that you've used the correct " or ' for dialogue and ' for apostrophes, and not the other way around.
Second, zoom in to make sure that your quotes and apostrophes are consistent, and that you've used either all curved quotes and apostrophes or all straight line and not a mix.
Third, a change in fonts throughout a manuscript will alter whether quotes and apostrophes appear curved ( “ ” and ’ ) or straight (" " and ').
12. Asterisk or Hash Sign
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 42:
“Paragraph Breaks;
1. Asterisks & Hashes
The * or # sign or a similar symbol often appears between two paragraphs to indicate a break.
For example, the end of a paragraph, an empty line, an asterisk centered, an empty line, and a new paragraph type of format can be used to indicate a change in point of view between two different main characters in a story.
A paragraph break can also be used to indicate the passing of a long period of time between one topic or scene and the next within a chapter. Once you've decided on which type of paragraph break you wish to use, use the same design consistently throughout your manuscript.
13. Extra Spaces
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 43:
“Too Many Spaces;
1. Space Key
Zoom in to your manuscript, if using Word then select the pilcrow or paragraph mark ( ¶ ), and delete all extra spaces, especially those found around and after punctuation marks.
It's a Writer's pain, but deleting extra spaces makes for an Editor's and Reader's great delight.
14. Prologues & Epilogues
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 44:
“Start Stars & End Ends;
1. Prologues
A Prologue comes before the main story starts and should be no more than five pages long.
If you're looking to publish traditionally then it's often recommended to avoid writing a prologue.
2. Epilogues
A Epilogue comes after the main story has ended and should be no more than ten pages long.
If you're looking to publish traditionally then ask your Agent whether or not to include an Epilogue linking to the next book in your series or a second ending to your standalone.
15. The End & Extras
📥 Formatting 📤
Step 45:
“The End & Then The Extras;
1. The End
The End of your manuscript may include at least one or three blank pages to allow for space before back cover of the book.
2. The Extras
If you haven't included an Epilogue then you can use the blank pages at the back of your book to share the first chapter of your next book (whether you're writing a series or have a different manuscript already edited and fully prepped for publishing).
A couple acknowledgement pages can also be included esp. if you wish to separate out a short dedication versus a longer thank you note to your supporters and readers. The acknowledgements should come before the Epilogue or Extra Chapter(s).
Another great extra to add would be information on all your already published books and where to find them, as well as a link ( with a hyperlink included in your Kindle version) to your Newsletter where readers can subscribe and learn more about you as the Author.