How to prepare your manuscript for an editor (non-fiction edition)

So you’ve finished your non-fiction book. Congratulations! Now it’s time to send it to a copyeditor. Well, not so fast. There are a few things you need to do before an editor lays eyes on your magnum opus. And yes, these tasks can be fiddly, but they’ll help you save time, minimise costs and simplify the editing process. Let's jump right in!

5 ways to prepare your manuscript for an editor

Most editors don’t expect a manuscript to be perfect (after all, why else would you seek out their services?), but they expect a certain standard to make editing and feedback rounds easier – for both parties. And while some editors have different requirements (always check!), the following should cover most scenarios.

1. Self-editing

Many authors edit as they go and think the job’s done. However, it’s important to review your writing after it’s finished – and not just once.

Go through the entire manuscript a few times and, depending on the genre, look out for problems with structure, voice, clarity, transitions, excessive use of jargon, unsupported claims and consistency. If it’s a fact-heavy book, cross-check your sources to ensure names, dates and places are correct.

Ideally, you should self-edit after you’ve taken a break from your book. Aim for a few days, weeks or even months. From personal experience, a longer break is better (if you can afford that time). You’ll be able to see your writing with fresh eyes, and any wordy paragraphs, inconsistencies and weak arguments will stand out. For more on self-editing, see How to self-edit your non-fiction book.

2. Styling and formatting

If you’ve finished the self-editing process, it’s time to tidy up the manuscript. Here are some ways you can make your Word document easier to work with:

• Fonts. In general, serif fonts (the ones with the curly ends) are easier to read and edit, so if you’re submitting your manuscript, switch to a serif font like Times New Roman, and use 12 pt.

  
  

• Spacing. Single spacing between lines is fine for emails, but your manuscript should use 1.5–2 spacing. This makes edits or comments easier to view, and you won’t need to keep expanding comment boxes to see the editor’s queries. And since we're on the subject, you only need one space after a full stop, so try to replace these if possible.

  
  

• Alignment. Even though most books are justified, don’t apply this setting in a manuscript. Justification in Word can stretch or squeeze words, making them hard to read and edit. (What’s more, editors can’t see if there are genuine spacing issues or not.) Instead, use left justification and leave the right side ragged. Your book designer will copy-fit the text later.

  
  

• Indents. Most authors use the tab key or multiple spaces to indent paragraphs. This can create all sorts of design problems further down the track. To avoid this, go to Paragraph and choose an indentation for the left margin. Most authors use 0.25 cm, but you can go up to 0.5 cm. This setting will indent automatically when you start a new paragraph.

  
  

  Some authors use line breaks instead of indented paragraphs. Unless you're writing a cookbook, gardening book or how-to manual, avoid this as it will be removed by the designer later. Plus, using indents for paragraphs makes it easier for the editor to see where there are natural breaks, or where a new paragraph starts after a block quote.

• Headings. Most authors create headings by bolding the text and making it a larger size. This can result in heading hierarchy issues and inconsistencies (will you remember if it was 14 pt or 16 pt for a level 2 header?). Instead, choose heading styles in Word or create your own. (If you don’t know how to do this, there are easy tutorials online.)

  
  

• Page break. To differentiate your chapters, don’t just press Enter until you reach a blank page. Add a page break after each chapter. You can do this by going to Layout and choosing Breaks, then choosing Page at the top. Why is this important? Because when changes are made to previous chapters, chapters can merge into each other, making the manuscript messy and hard to work with.

  
  

• Contents list. It may be tempting to create an automatic contents list with Word (particularly if you used heading styles), but resist the urge. Page numbers will change during the editing process, so create a contents list manually and exclude the page numbers. Those can be added during the proofreading stage.

Note: You’ve probably noticed that I’ve mentioned Word a lot. That’s because it’s the gold standard when it comes to editing. Plus, it works offline and allows editors to use macros and other software to support their editing. If your manuscript is in Google Docs or a similar format, consider converting it to Word to simplify the editing process. For more on this topic, see Word or Google Docs: Which is better for copyediting?

3. Running a spelling and grammar check

Your Word document will have inbuilt spelling and grammar checks, so use them to weed out manual errors. You can also use tools like Grammarly, ProWritingAid or other grammar checkers. However, keep in mind that these tools make suggestions that are sometimes incorrect or unnecessary, so treat them with caution!

4. Doing a consistency check

If there are names, places or terms you use consistently, make sure they’re spelled correctly every time. It’s not unusual for authors to use both ‘well-being’ and ‘wellbeing’, or ‘Stephenson’ and ‘Stevenson’. Use the Find and Replace tool for these words and ensure they’re consistent throughout.

If you’re planning to write a lot of book-length works, consider subscribing to PerfectIt. It helps you weed out inconsistencies that would normally take hours to spot and correct.

5. Sharing your goals and concerns

When you’re hiring an editor, it’s important to share why you’ve written the book. Who is your target audience? Are you self-publishing or submitting to a publisher/agent? Will your book be used as a reference book or practical guide? Your editor can assess your manuscript against these criteria and help you meet your publishing goals.

What's more, if you recognise issues or blind spots in your writing, mention these too. Does the structure need work? Do you have a tendency to over-write? Have you used too much jargon? Even though the editor is likely to flag these issues (and suggest solutions), it’s useful to know what they are so they can address them.

Also, if you have stylistic preferences, like US English over UK English or using the Oxford (serial comma), let the editor know. They’ll ensure all your preferences are consistent and retained.

What if you’re submitting to a publisher or agent?

Many of the recommendations above also apply to publishers or agents. However, check their submission requirements online and follow them to a tee. This may include using specific margin settings and headers. Many publishers also request a proposal and book description.

Following these requirements shows that you respect the publisher’s process and time (and that you’re going to be easy to work with!). More importantly, it means your manuscript is more likely to be read.

Note: I work with publishers who pay me to do all the fiddly styling and formatting mentioned above. Does that mean those authors are off the hook? Sadly, yes. However, I appreciate authors who try to eliminate as many of those problems as possible before handover.

Why is preparing your manuscript important?

Preparing your manuscript for editing may seem excessive – and a waste of time – but it’s a great way to show off your professionalism. If your manuscript is poorly presented and replete with errors, editors may reject it because they don’t think it’s ready, or because they don’t feel it’s up to scratch.

But if your manuscript is in great shape, it means editors can focus on high-level edits like enhancing flow, eliminating repetition and checking facts. They won’t have to worry about persistent styling issues or minor spelling errors, which can clutter the manuscript and make the review process overwhelming. More importantly, it can shorten how long it takes to edit your book and keep costs down. For more on this topic, see Why are book editors so expensive?

Final thoughts: How to prepare your manuscript for an editor

Just because you’ve finished your book, doesn’t mean the hard work is over. You still need to review the manuscript to make sure it’s ready for editing. This means using serif fonts, double spacing, paragraph indents and clear heading hierarchies to improve readability, and running spelling, grammar and consistency checks to minimise edits. By doing this, your manuscript will require less intervention, edits will be easier to manage and your editor will be forever grateful!

So if your book is ready for editing, I’d love to help. Send me a brief and a sample from the middle of your book. I’ll quote you on the project and, if requested, provide a sample edit for A$50.