Formatting Your Manuscript: The Basics
20 tips for formatting your manuscript
OERU primarily uses Pressbooks for hosting your texts. This online publishing platform makes your text available to read online, as an ebook, or as a downloadable PDF. For us to create your text in Pressbooks and for copy editing, your manuscript needs to be in the following format:
- Use a standard word processing program such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Please do not send us a PDF of your manuscript unless we request it. If you are using Overleaf, please consult with the unit first.
- Use a standard font, such as Times New Roman or Arial. Note that your actual book may be in a different font, but that will be up to the editorial team.
- Please submit your document with black text on a white background. Some people like to change these for accessibility’s sake (e.g., blue background with white font), and that is fine, but please change it back to black/white before you submit.
- Use 12-point type. It’s readable, and it’s generally the default setting. Your font size may vary after publication, but that will be done by the editorial team.
- Use the default 8.5 x 11-page size portrait mode for your layout. Anything else will need to be reformatted.
- One-inch margins on all four sides. Again this is the default, so please don’t change your margins.
- Use left-justified alignment for your text.
- One space after a period is the preferred method used by the Chicago Manual of Style. If you are using another style manual with different punctuation rules, please consult with the OER Unit first.
- Double-space your text. This makes for easier reading. This includes notes, extracts, and the bibliography or references.
- Use formatted indents for paragraph indents, not tabs or extra spaces. Use hanging indents for any material where lines after the first are indented (e.g., notes and bibliography), not hard returns and/or tab spaces. Both of these options can be found in Word under the Format menu in Paragraph.
- Use the built-in style functions to indicate heading levels. See Headings and subheadings for more details. Please don’t use all capital letters to indicate a new heading. and please do not add section breaks.
- Please name your files according to our conventions.
- Number your pages. CMOS prefers that top right-hand corner, but it does not matter. This is for when the manuscript goes to copy-editing.
- Send your manuscript as one file (not separate files for each chapter) with first-level headings separating chapters. (This is for copy-editing purposes). See Headings and subheadings for more details.
- Images (pictures, charts, graphs) are not embedded in the manuscript.
- Each image is a separate named file.
- Each image is named appropriately.
- The location of each image is indicated in the manuscript.
- Image file types are either .png or .jpg.
- Each image has an appropriate attribution indicated in the tracking sheet.
- Make sure there is a reason for each image. Decorative images are discouraged.
- See the section on formatting images for more details
- Tables are not embedded in the manuscript.
- Tables are created in Word or Excel and may not be an image.
- Each table is in a separate named file.
- The location of each table is indicated in the manuscript.
- Each table has a caption and alt-text indicated in the tracking sheet.
- Do not use tables for formatting your text. Use tables to lay out data only.
- Every image, graph, chart, and table MUST have a caption and alt-text. This information IS part of your tracking sheet.
- Interactivities (including videos and other media) are not embedded in the manuscript. The location of each interactivity is indicated in the manuscript.
- Do not include headers or footers (we will build those in Pressbooks).
- Keep it simple! Most of the formatting, fonts, layout, and design will need to be stripped from your manuscript for importing into Pressbooks.
