From presubmission Microsoft Word cleanup to publication-ready print and ebook interiors, I can help you prepare your manuscript for agents, editors, and publication.
Microsoft Word Manuscript Cleanup
Whether you are querying agents, handing your manuscript to an editor or designer, or submitting it to a publisher, a cluttered file with inconsistent formatting can create unnecessary friction. I clean up manuscripts using Microsoft Word styles and remove stray formatting and hidden characters.
What’s Included
- Style Creation & Implementation
Conversion of direct formatting (manual bolding, custom spacing, inline font tweaks) into clean, consistent Microsoft Word paragraph and character styles. - Standard Structural Layout
Setup of a title page, page numbers, headers and footers, and clean page breaks, following your supplied specifications. - Typography & Spacing Cleanup
Application of consistent margins, line spacing, paragraph indents, and alignment while removing double spaces, irregular tabs, and similar inconsistencies. - Document Hygiene
Removal of unnecessary direct formatting, repeated spaces, unnecessary nonbreaking spaces, tab-based indents, empty paragraphs, manual line breaks, and other common issues that can interfere with editing or importing into book-production software.
Who This Is For
- Querying Authors
Authors preparing a manuscript that meets strict agent/publisher submission guidelines. - Authors Handing Off to Designers
Authors who need a clean, styled .docx file ready for a more reliable import into interior design software (like InDesign). - Self-publishers
Writers who want a well-structured document before moving on to formatting their own interior layouts in book-production software, such as Affinity, Adobe InDesign, or Vellum.
Planning to hire me for Essential Interior Formatting or Custom Interior Book Design?
You do not need to purchase Word Manuscript Cleanup separately. Basic manuscript preparation and style cleanup appropriate to your selected service are included in all interior-formatting and interior-design projects. (Manuscripts that require substantial reconstruction, extensive repair, or unusual content cleanup, however, may require an additional manuscript-preparation fee.)
Print & Digital Book Design
I offer two levels for interior book layout: Essential Interior Formatting and Custom Interior Book Design.
Choose Essential Interior Formatting for a polished interior built with one of my established formats. Choose Custom Interior Book Design for a tailored typographic and layout approach developed around your manuscript.
With either service, you may choose a print interior, a reflowable EPUB, or both.
| Feature/Service | Essential Interior Formatting | Custom Interior Book Design |
| Ideal For | Text-forward novels, novellas & creative nonfiction (e.g., memoirs) | Fiction, nonfiction, memoirs with special elements and typography requirements |
| Design Approach | Established templates | Custom typographic & layout design system |
| Design Selection | Recommend curated options from template library | Choice between 2 bespoke design sample concepts, created using a chapter or sample text |
| Interior Elements | Standard front/back matter, basic scene breaks, running heads | Custom chapter/part openers, custom scene breaks, custom folios |
| Special Text Handling | Standard prose & basic dialogue only | Special handling for letters, text messages, poetry, epigraphs |
| Images & Graphics | Standard image placement (if simple) & alt-text accessibility | Custom handling for maps, illustrations & alt-text accessibility |
| Consultation | Email-based onboarding & review | 1-hour 1-on-1 design consultation |
| Revisions | 1 consolidated proofing round | 1 design sample review round + 1 consolidated final proofing round |
| Deliverables | Print-Ready PDF, Reflowable EPUB, or both | Print-Ready PDF, Reflowable EPUB, or both |
| Cover Coordination | N/A | Complements typography to your supplied cover art/branding |
How We Turn Your Manuscript Into a Book
1
Send Your Manuscript
Must be fully copyedited .docx format.
Submit your final manuscript along with your word count, genre, desired trim size, and distribution goals.
2
Review & Approve Design
Sample chapter or curated template.
Select your preferred interior design from curated options (Essential) or review two custom design proofs (Custom).
3
Full Interior Layout
Typesetting & page balance.
Your entire manuscript is typeset for print PDF, reflowable EPUB, or both.
4
Proof & Deliver
One consolidated correction round.
Review the complete proof with your proofreader, submit any final minor adjustments, and receive your publication-ready files.
Platform Compatibility with Each Level
Files are prepared for the distributor, format, and trim size listed in your proposal, using that platform’s current published specifications at the time of delivery.
- Print: KDP Print (Amazon), IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble Press, Lulu
- Ebook: Amazon Kindle (KDP), Apple Books, Google Books
Distributor approval, automated checks, and final printing outcomes remain subject to the platform’s review and to the client’s final upload settings.
A reflowable EPUB will also display differently depending on the reader’s device and reading preferences. It should be designed for robust, readable reflow rather than identical fixed pages across all devices.
Companion Services
Ask me about bundling additional services together:
- Postformatting Proofread
Catch as many last-minute layout glitches or residual typos as possible before publishing. - Bundle Editing & Design
Pair copyediting with interior design under one roof. - Cover Designer Referral
Need a cover? I can connect you with trusted cover artists to complete your book.
Ready to Turn Your Manuscript into a Book?
Send me your word count, genre, and whether you need print, ebook, or both, and I’ll get back to you with next steps.
Before ➔ After
Frequently Asked Questions
No. To avoid costly revisions and delays, I only accept manuscripts that have been fully copyedited. Please make sure copyediting is complete before submitting your document.
At this time, my current workflow is not set up for highly complex academic textbooks nor for books with many tables or extensive footnotes.
No, I only offer interior design for print and digital. However, I would be happy to reach out to my trusted network to help you find a cover designer.
Depending on the package you choose, you’ll receive a high-resolution, print-ready PDF and/or a clean reflowable EPUB. Files are prepared to the stated distributor’s current specifications and checked before delivery. Distributor approval and printing outcomes remain subject to the platform’s review and your final upload settings.
Please submit your manuscript as a .docx or .doc file. Please mark chapter breaks, scene breaks, front matter, and back matter clearly. If your book includes maps, images, letters, text conversations, poetry, notes, or other special-format elements, please identify them during the inquiry stage so I can confirm whether Essential Interior Formatting is suitable or prepare a Custom Interior Book Design quote.
Microsoft Word is excellent for drafting, editing, and preparing a manuscript, and a stylistically clean Word document is essential for a friction-free design work flow. However, because Word offers less control over typographic detail, layouts, print-production output, and EPUB structure than dedicated book-production software, when it comes to layout production, I use Word only for manuscript cleanup.
For book formatting, I choose to use professional book-production tools—including Vellum and Affinity—for final print and ebook files, as these programs allow for greater control than Word alone.
Both services include one consolidated proofing round.
Essential Interior Formatting includes corrections to the final approved manuscript and the selected formatting system.
Custom Interior Book Design includes the design-approval stage using the sample chapter or design proof, followed by one consolidated proofing round after the full interior is complete.
Manuscript rewrites, structural changes, added or replaced chapters, new special elements, changes to trim size or distribution platform, and changes to approved formatting or design decisions are quoted separately.
Included corrections address errors in the approved manuscript, layout anomalies, and implementation of the approved formatting or design system.
A revision does not include manuscript rewrites, structural revisions, chapter additions or replacements, new layout features, or reconsideration of previously approved typography, trim size, or design choices.
My standard packages include your ready-to-publish PDF and EPUB files. I do not include editable files unless explicitly agreed upon in writing.
You are responsible for securing all rights, permissions, licenses, and required credit lines for text, images, maps, quotations, typefaces, and other supplied material. Please provide any required copyright, credit, or attribution language before layout begins. I do not provide legal-clearance or permissions-research services.
Simple, client-supplied images may be included only when specified in the project proposal. You are responsible for supplying print-quality files and securing all required rights.
Image-heavy interiors, illustration placement, complex maps, and story-relevant images that require detailed alternative-text descriptions are assessed as Custom Interior Book Design work. Amazon recommends text alternatives for meaningful images and decorative treatment for images that do not convey content.
You are free to do so, but keep in mind that transparency may not display consistently across all e-readers and reading apps. On Kindle devices and apps, for instance transparent areas may be replaced with a white background.
If the image relies on transparency for readability or visual effect, please provide a version that works on a white background. For complex graphics or image-heavy layouts, mention this during the inquiry stage so I can confirm the best approach for your selected service.
Absolutely! Even with a clean manuscript, minor issues can occur during formatting. I always recommend having a professional proofreader review the final layout file (the “proof”) to catch any tiny misses before you publish. This should be done before requesting any revisions from me.
I would love to! Since I am a professional editor, we can easily add proofreading to your order for an additional fee. If you’d prefer a fresh set of eyes, I can also refer you to trusted proofreaders in my professional network.
Ready to Turn Your Manuscript Into a Published Book?
Have your word count and genre ready? Contact me today.