Why use a book manuscript template? Well, although it may seem like a trivial thing, there's an awful lot of confusion around how an author should set up and format their manuscript. And while not everything is carved in stone, there are absolutely some conventions that have developed to make it easier for authors to write, for editors to edit, and for designers to work with a manuscript through the various stages of writing and publishing. I've embedded this in my nonfiction book manuscript template that you can download for free below. Use it, and you'll save a whack of time and be able to get writing much more quickly.
How? Because...
- You'll realize you don't have to fiddle with your manuscript to make it look "pretty";
- You'll be able to quickly make changes once that flow throughout your document; and
- You'll be able to quickly and easily navigate the text, whether you're just starting to write or you have 50,000 words and need to find that one pesky heading.
Watch the video above or on YouTube and then download my free book manuscript template here to use as a starting point.
Some of the highlights include:
- Styles are already set up so you can start using them right away
- Key front-matter and back-matter content have been added and appropriate formatting applied
- Dynamic table of contents included so it's a breeze to update heading and page numbers
- Common elements like figures, tables, footnote/endnote references and the like have been added with appropriate Styles applied - just use these as your guide and they'll update easily for you
- Lots more!
A major key to making the writing process easier, it to have an easy-to-use, easy-to-navigate document that lets you focus on your message. And you know what else? It make your manuscript much easier for your editor and design to use as well, meaning you'll get more value for your publishing buck.
Happy writing!
Scott