MS Word Novel Formatting Issue

Parkinsonsd · 01-06-2013, 06:16 PM

I'm using Microsoft word, and I know I'm supposed to have a header on each page, one inch margins and will somehow end up with 25 double spaced lines of text per page in courier (not including the header. 26 if you include the header, I guess).

I'm not. I'm getting 24 lines per page. I've got to reduce the upper margin to .8 inches and the lower to .75 to get 25 lines per page.

Any suggestions?

Ken · 01-07-2013, 03:29 AM

... my own convoluted solution would probably be something like reducing the line spacing from double to "1.9," which would be indistinguishable from the former and it'd be enough to add one extra line per page. Then again, .8 is close enough to an inch and .75 is close enough, too, so you might just leave things as are. Editors and agents aren't going to be getting out rulers and measuring your margins. But I can relate to your wanting your ms to look as sharp as possible even so.

snowbones · 01-10-2013, 02:49 PM

set the line height to excactly (whatever) points until you get it like you want.

EMaree · 01-10-2013, 03:48 PM

Y'know, I've never actually checked the lines-per-page of my standard formatted manuscript.

Managed to get those lines using a blank document with double-spaced Courier New and a header, though. What are your Paragraph spacing settings at the moment? Make sure it's at 0pt before and after.

Old Hack · 01-10-2013, 07:20 PM

I don't think it makes much of a difference to receiving agents or editors if you have the wrong number of lines on a page. But if you still are worried, check that you're not adding extra spaces at the beginning or end of each paragraph, as suggested above, and then alter the headers and footers slightly to suit.

01-06-2013, 06:16 PM	#1
Parkinsonsd practical experience, FTW Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 512	MS Word Novel Formatting Issue I'm using Microsoft word, and I know I'm supposed to have a header on each page, one inch margins and will somehow end up with 25 double spaced lines of text per page in courier (not including the header. 26 if you include the header, I guess). I'm not. I'm getting 24 lines per page. I've got to reduce the upper margin to .8 inches and the lower to .75 to get 25 lines per page. Any suggestions? __________________ Last edited by Parkinsonsd; 01-06-2013 at 06:33 PM. Reason: Haven't had my coffee yet.

01-10-2013, 03:48 PM	#4
EMaree is drinking tea Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Scotland Posts: 1,444	Y'know, I've never actually checked the lines-per-page of my standard formatted manuscript. Managed to get those lines using a blank document with double-spaced Courier New and a header, though. What are your Paragraph spacing settings at the moment? Make sure it's at 0pt before and after. __________________ Website/Blog- Twitter Writing: Seamonster YA Revising: YA Urban Fantasy with giant robots With Agent: YA Urban Fantasy with angels and demons Published: MG Fantasy "Dragon Tamers" & "Dragon Tamers 2: Digital Tempest"

01-10-2013, 07:20 PM	#5
Old Hack You'll have to run faster than that SuperModerator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In the watchtower Posts: 11,497	I don't think it makes much of a difference to receiving agents or editors if you have the wrong number of lines on a page. But if you still are worried, check that you're not adding extra spaces at the beginning or end of each paragraph, as suggested above, and then alter the headers and footers slightly to suit. __________________ I blog at How Publishing Really Works and The Self-Publishing Review, and I tweet as @hprw. See you around.

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01-07-2013, 03:29 AM	#2
Ken an Eric Dolphy fan Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: AW. A very nice place! Posts: 8,345	... my own convoluted solution would probably be something like reducing the line spacing from double to "1.9," which would be indistinguishable from the former and it'd be enough to add one extra line per page. Then again, .8 is close enough to an inch and .75 is close enough, too, so you might just leave things as are. Editors and agents aren't going to be getting out rulers and measuring your margins. But I can relate to your wanting your ms to look as sharp as possible even so.

01-10-2013, 02:49 PM	#3
snowbones Banned for Spamming Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: New Mexico Posts: 48	set the line height to excactly (whatever) points until you get it like you want.