Formatting Finesse: 10 Steps to Elevate Your Novel’s Presentation

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You might not be thinking about this right now, but formatting your novel is crucial in presenting it in a professional and readable way.

Whether you are sending it to a publisher or agent, or self-publishing, it’s vital you properly format your text from the beginning.

If you don’t properly format your manuscript here’s what will happen — it will be immediately binned and never read. Publishers and agents just don’t have the time to read poorly presented manuscripts. They want books that follow their own requirements (see their web pages for formatting guides), that a properly ordered and read well.

So, here’s some tips on how you should make sure your book is the best it can be.

Firstly of all, as a writer myself and someone who formats novels for paperback and hardback copies, I would say never present your work in individual chapters. You must only deliver it to your agent, publisher or book formatter as a single file. If you don’t do this, you will find it will be sent straight back.

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