Whether we like it or not, MS Word documents are the current default for submission to publishers and typesetters. Other programs promise that they can convert a file to .Docx cleanly but unfortunately that is rarely the case.
Before you start typesetting or submitting the book, I recommend you do a cleanup to avoid future issues and make everyone’s jobs easier.
Headings
Headings are the most important accessibility and technological feature of any document. They separate the file, inform the reader, and are used to generate a table of contents.
Use Heading 1 as the title of the book. This is best practice and will make converting it easier.
Ensure that the rest of the headings flow in a numerical order. Eg Part = Heading 2, Chapter = Heading 3 OR Chapter = Heading 2.
Never skip a number and always ensure they are properly nested.
W3 Schools has more information on the proper way of using Headings.
Often files will not have headings but will have text that looks like a heading. In this case, make sure to turn them into headings.
A chapter should start on a new page. Add a page break before the chapter.
Avoid these common heading errors:
- Formatting the text (bold, larger size) instead of using heading styles
- Using heading styles to format text (bold, larger size) when the text isn’t a heading
- Using different colours, sizes, or fonts for headings of the same level
Tip: Using the Navigation Pane will allow you to see all the headings and their levels at the same time.
Styles
A lot of conversion programs (looking at you Apple) will create and add all sorts of styles. In a regular book, there should be only Normal or Body, and Headings. Poetry, songs, and other non-standard text may require their own Styles. Anything else should be removed.
In Word, under the Home tab, there’s a section called Styles. If you click on the arrow that points down and to the right, you’ll open the Styles panel.
In the Styles panel, click options and a dialogue box will appear. Under “Select styles to show:” choose “in use” and under “Select how list is sorted” choose “Alphabetical”.
This will show you all the styles that are currently in use.
You can right click to delete styles and they’ll default to Normal or Body. Be aware however, that this sometimes removes Italic or Bold. Be careful.
Tables, images, and lists
In a standard fiction book, there shouldn’t be any tables. For accessibility reasons, tables should only be used for showing data. If for some reason there must be a table, ensure that there is only one row of headings, and if needed, a column of headings.
If the book must have images, ensure you have a description of the image in your text or a proper alt text for the image.
This is only if the image is important to the text, like an illustration. If the image is purely decorative then it’s not necessary.
Bulleted or numbered lists are rarely needed in fiction but if they are used, always ensure you use the list function in word.