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.
Search and Replace
This is something you need to think about and double check before applying to your document.
A search and replace can be a powerful tool to clean the document but could also add errors. Always scan the document first.
Before each Search and Replace, save your document. They can crash word.
Open the Search and Replace dialogue box (CTRL+H)
Double Spaces: Enter two spaces in “Find what” and one space in “Replace with”
Double spaces are not necessary with standard fonts. Certain magazines and publications will request them so make sure before running this search.
Double Paragraph Breaks: In “Find what” enter ^p^p and in “Replace with” enter ^p
The goal of this search is to remove the extra paragraphs that are often used instead of line spacing.
Sometimes an author will use a blank line as a divider. Make sure the search doesn’t remove these.
Space at the beginning of a paragraph: In“Find what” enter ^p and space and in “Replace with” enter ^p
This removes empty spaces that mess with the formatting of the text.
Soft paragraph breaks: In“Find what” enter ^l and search for them. These can show up as forced line breaks or sometimes two of them are used instead of a paragraph break. Double check and replace those that aren’t needed.
Soft returns are useful with titles, poems, or songs but cause mischief with justification.
The search and replace codes in Word are the same as those in InDesign but not the same as Google Docs or other programs.
Visual Inspection
As tedious as it can be to scroll through a document several times, it’s important to look through the document before you send it for submission or send it to typesetting.
Errors like losing dividers, losing Italics, or odd spacing can crop up despite the previous steps.
Give it another look and fix any further issues.