Formatting Woes

CreativeDreamer · May 13, 2007

I am not sure if it is like this for everyone, maybe I am blond! Every time I sit down to format my manuscript I want to cry. The book and the internet both tell me "margins are to be 1 1/2 inches top-bottom-left-right"
When I go into my formatting and type my margins it looks like it is sandwiched into the center of the page and completely unprofessional. I know I have to be doing something wrong here. Is it that visually it should look 1 and 1/2 inches form the page or actually 1.5 margin space in formatting? :Shrug:

I know this is the basics of becoming published. My mind cries "I am a writer not an editor!" Help...?

Jersey Chick · May 13, 2007

I always thought the rule was 1" all around... That way everything doesn't look so smushed...

JanDarby · May 13, 2007

Just 1" all around. And you can go to .75" at the top, if the header is inside the margin, rather than outside the margin.

Unless, of course, the person you're submitting to requires a larger margin. Some of the legal documents I write require -- by court order -- a 1.5" margin, and, yes, the pages do look odd that way.

JD

herdon · May 13, 2007

To be honest, I never really much worried about it enough to check the default Word settings. I space down a good 1/3rd of the page for the beginning of chapters and double space everything so there is plenty of room for notes, other than that I don't think editors/agents are taking out a ruler and measuring or anything.

Kristin Landon · May 13, 2007

CreativeDreamer, are you right-justifying your text? (By which I mean, setting it so the right and left edges of the text are both straight, as in a book.) That might explain some of the smooshing effect.

And I've always heard (and used) 1-inch margins all around. It saves paper, too. The double-spacing leaves plenty of room for marks and editing.

blacbird · May 13, 2007

Kristin Landon said:
CreativeDreamer, are you right-justifying your text? (By which I mean, setting it so the right and left edges of the text are both straight, as in a book.)

To which, if you are doing this, should be added: Don't.

caw

Cathy C · May 13, 2007

Personally, I also prefer 1", but a number of publishers really do like to see a final manuscript in 1.5" all around (so they can make notes as they're reading.) But I know what you mean about it looking odd.

One question: Is your "View" set to "Normal" or "Print Layout" (in Word) or "Draft" or "Page" (in WordPerfect?) I ask because it's going to look even more squished if you're in Print Layout or Page. Choose Normal or Draft and it'll remove the hard margins and spread out the text a little more.

CreativeDreamer · May 13, 2007

Thank you everyone for your input

This has helped me so much.

Julie Worth · May 23, 2007

Cathy C said:
One question: Is your "View" set to "Normal" or "Print Layout" (in Word) or "Draft" or "Page" (in WordPerfect?) I ask because it's going to look even more squished if you're in Print Layout or Page. Choose Normal or Draft and it'll remove the hard margins and spread out the text a little more.

If you're using Word 2003 or later, try the "reading" layout. This gives you an incredibly legible print on two sheets side by side, while each click of the mouse thumb-wheel scrolls down a full page. It's great for editing because of the clarity, and because the text wraps differently.

Jamesaritchie · May 23, 2007

CreativeDreamer said:
I am not sure if it is like this for everyone, maybe I am blond! Every time I sit down to format my manuscript I want to cry. The book and the internet both tell me "margins are to be 1 1/2 inches top-bottom-left-right"
When I go into my formatting and type my margins it looks like it is sandwiched into the center of the page and completely unprofessional. I know I have to be doing something wrong here. Is it that visually it should look 1 and 1/2 inches form the page or actually 1.5 margin space in formatting?

I know this is the basics of becoming published. My mind cries "I am a writer not an editor!" Help...?

Wrong book and wrong internet site. The rule is one inch margins all around.

Formatting Woes

CreativeDreamer

Jersey Chick

Up all night to get Loki

JanDarby

herdon

What's up?

Kristin Landon

blacbird

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

CreativeDreamer

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

Jamesaritchie