Jump to Setting page size and margins - The video and step-by-step instructions explain how to set page size and margins for books with and without.
.8 Design Fundamentals on How to Format a NovelWe all know the importance of a good first impression. It’s true for books, too. We’ve compiled some basic tips that will help make your novel format and design inviting and readable.
You’ve invested a lot of time and effort into and the way it looks should reflect that effort. If your pages look clumsy or amateurish, you might scare readers away before they have a chance to fall in love with your prose. And, once they’re in, you want the page design to help them along—not get in their way.Page design is a fine art, but don’t despair. Even if you aren’t a professional designer, there are simple things you can do to make your novel design and pages look more polished. Pull any bestseller or classic off your shelf and you’ll see all of the following principles brought into play. Use them yourself, and your book will belong with the best.
Keep the Margins RoomyPage margins are a common problem in books by first-time self-publishers. It can be tempting to cram as much text as possible on a page to reduce a book’s page count, but don’t do it. Tight margins make pages look cramped and intimidating. Even worse, some of your text can get lost in the “gutter,” or inside edge, meaning the reader has to torture your book, prying it open just to read it. A nice, roomy margin all the way around the page makes the book feel more inviting, allows the reader to hold it comfortably, and leaves space for notes or marks.How much margin is enough? For a 5 x 8 inch book, try 5/8” (.625”) to start. For a 6 x 9 book, 3/4” (.75”) is more appropriate.
Make the inside margin slightly larger so words don’t fall into the gutter (this is especially important for longer books, which have deeper gutters). There are some online if you want to explore this topic in depth. Choose Readable FontsWhat is a “readable” font? For a book, we mean a typeface that is easy on the eyes—not only attractive at first glance, but comfortable to read over a hundred pages or more.
This is one area where the tried-and-true is still best. Fonts like, or have very long pedigrees in the book world. You see them everywhere, because they were designed specifically for use in books. They draw the eye along a line of type, grouping letters for easier recognition as words. You can’t go wrongIf you want to branch out, look for fonts that are easy to read in paragraphs—fonts with an even look, with some (but not too much) contrast between thick and thin lines. Don’t be afraid of being “boring.” When you read, you should see the words, not the font.
You can always add spice by choosing a livelier font for your cover, title page, chapter titles, and other accents. Use a Comfortable Type Size and LeadingOnce you have your font, start looking at the size of the type on the page. Make it too big, and you’ll wind up with one of those “large print” editions. Too small, and the average reader will need a magnifying glass. Many modern books are set in 11-point type, but that’s not a hard-and-fast rule.
Slightly different letter shapes make some fonts look bigger or smaller than others. Count the number of letters or words that fit on a line.
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Aim for (be sure to check several different lines of text, not just one!).Leading is the space between lines (or, more accurately, the distance from the bottom of one line to the bottom of the next line). If you’re using a professional tool like Adobe® InDesign®, you have very fine control over leading.
Start with the automatic setting and tweak it as needed. If your software doesn’t allow such fine control, compare single-spaced text and 1.5-spacing to see which looks best.
Print out the same page at a bunch of different font settings and decide which is easiest to read on paper. Then ask a friend for a second opinion. Justify your TextIn typography, to “justify” a paragraph means to set it so the text runs right up to both the left- and the right-hand margin, making a nice, even rectangle. All word processors and layout platforms have this option. It may seem a bit odd at first. Most of us are used to writing documents with only the left margin aligned, while the right edge is “ragged”—each line is a different length. But look at almost any professionally designed novel and you’ll see justified text.
The idea is that straight margins make very long chunks of text easier to read. Your eye is not distracted by the uneven edge, and can focus on the flow of the words. Indent the First Lines of ParagraphsThe beginnings of new paragraphs should always be easy to see on the page. Otherwise, your text just looks like a big, run-on block of words.
Indenting the first line by a quarter-inch will usually do the trick. Half an inch is probably too much. Some writers, especially those familiar with web design, separate paragraphs with a blank line.
That’s a good practice for text displayed on a screen, but, in the pages of a novel, it’s better to indicate new paragraphs by indenting the first line. Use Running Heads (And/Or Footers)A running head is optional, but it’s the sort of detail that makes a book design feel complete. This is the little heading that appears above the main text block on every page. Running heads anchor the text and help readers navigate the book.
A running head typically contains information, usually the book’s title and author’s name. Sometimes, the chapter title might appear instead. The headers are usually different on left-hand and right-hand pages (author on the left, book title on the right, to give a common example). You can center the header or align the information to the inside margin with page numbers aligned to the outside margin.
Sometimes page numbers appear in the footer (below the text block) instead of the header. These are small decisions that can have a big effect on the look of your pages and overall novel design.
Give Chapter Openings Special TreatmentChapter beginnings are different from other parts of your book and have their own set of standards. Start each chapter on a new page. Some books go further and start each chapter on a right-hand page, but that really isn’t necessary (except for the first chapter; always start your novel on a right-hand page). Start the text about one-third of the way down the page, with the chapter number above.
It is not necessary to write out the word “Chapter,” often just a number is fine. Style the chapter numbers and/or titles so they’re distinct from the text.
You might want to reuse the font from your cover here to give the book unity. Whatever font you choose, make sure it looks good above the body text. Omit any running headers from the pages that start new chapters (leaving them in is a common rookie mistake). You also don’t need to indent the very first paragraph in a new chapter.
If your software supports drop-caps, give that a try. You can also try formatting the first few words of the first sentence in all capital letters or small-caps.All of these flourishes help to establish the sense that one part of your story has ended and a new phase is beginning. Mark Scene Breaks With a Blank LineOften, chapters have changes of scene in the middle. The easiest way to indicate this is with a single blank line between paragraphs. This helps the reader to “reset” and understand that the perspective has changed. If you want to go a step further, consider making the break a little wider and placing a small ornament in the center.
Keep it simple and this can be a fun, subtle way to reinforce the mood or theme of your book.Put your best face forward. These are just the basics of page design, but a little effort will go a long way. A reader may not be able to pinpoint exactly why justified paragraphs, running heads, or roomy margins look professional, but they will recognize these elements from other books and feel more comfortable committing to yours.
Note: If your document contains multiple sections, the new margin type will be applied only to the current section. If your document contains multiple sections and you have multiple sections selected, the new margin type will be applied to each section you have selected.You easily can change the default margins. And after you do, the new default settings are saved in the template on which the document is based.
Thereafter, each new document based on that template will automatically use the new margin settings.Choose Margins after you select a new margin, and then choose Custom Margins.In the Page Setup dialog box, choose Set As Default.On the Page Layout tab, in the Page Setup group, choose Margins and the Margins gallery appears.At the bottom of the Margins gallery, choose Custom Margins.In the Page Setup dialog box, enter new values for the margins.More tips about margins.To change the default margins, click Margins after you select a new margin, and then click Custom Margins. In the Page Setup dialog box, click Set As Default. The new default settings are saved in the template on which the document is based. Each new document based on that template automatically uses the new margin settings.To change the margins for part of a document, select the text, and then set the margins that you want by entering the new margins in the Page Setup dialog box. In the Apply to box, click Selected text.
Microsoft Word automatically inserts section breaks before and after the text that has the new margin settings. If your document is already divided into sections, you can click in a section or select multiple sections and then change the margins.Most printers require a minimum width for margin settings, because they can't print all the way to the edge of the page. If you try to set margins that are too narrow, Microsoft Word displays the message One or more margins are set outside the printable area of the page.To prevent text from being cut off, click Fix to automatically increase the margin width. If you ignore the message and try to print the document as it is, Word displays another message asking whether you want to continue.The minimum margin settings depend on your printer, printer driver, and paper size. To learn about the minimum margin settings, check your printer manual.
Microsoft Word offers several page margin options. You can use the default page margins or you can specify your own.Add margins for binding Use a gutter margin to add extra space to the side or top margin of a document that you plan to bind. A gutter margin helps ensure that text isn't obscured by the binding.1. Gutter margins for binding2. Mirror margins for facing pages.Set margins for facing pages Use mirror margins to set up facing pages for double-sided documents, such as books or magazines. In this case, the margins of the left page are a mirror image of those of the right page (that is, the inside margins are the same width, and the outside margins are the same width). Note: You can set gutter margins for a document that has mirror margins if the document needs extra space for binding.Add a book fold Using the Book fold option in the Page Setup dialog box, you can create a booklet.
You can use the same option to create a menu, invitation, event program, or any other type of document that uses a single center fold.1. Word inserts a single, center book foldAfter you set up a document as a booklet, you work with it just as you would any document, inserting text, graphics, and other visual elements.Most printers require a minimum width for margin settings, because they can't print all the way to the edge of the page. If you try to set margins that are too narrow, Microsoft Word displays the message One or more margins are set outside the printable area of the page.To prevent text from being cut off, click Fix to automatically increase the margin width.
If you ignore the message and try to print the document as it is, Word displays another message asking whether you want to continue.The minimum margin settings depend on your printer, printer driver, and paper size. To learn about the minimum margin settings, check your printer manual. Note: When you click the margin type that you want, your entire document automatically changes to the margin type that you have selected.You can also specify your own margin settings. Click Margins, click Custom Margins, and then in the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right boxes, enter new values for the margins.To change the default margins, click Margins after you select a new margin, and then click Custom Margins. In the Page Setup dialog box, click the Default button, and then click Yes. The new default settings are saved in the template on which the document is based. Each new document based on that template automatically uses the new margin settings.To restore the original margin settings, click Margins and then click Custom Margins.
Change the margins for Top, Bottom, Left, and Right to 1'. Then click the Default button and click Yes.To change the margins for part of a document, select the text, and then set the margins that you want by entering the new margins in the Page Setup dialog box.
In the Apply to box, click Selected text. Microsoft Word automatically inserts section breaks before and after the text that has the new margin settings. If your document is already divided into sections, you can click in a section or select multiple sections and then change the margins.