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The Most Common Manuscript Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

by | Sep 16, 2025 | Formatting and Typesetting

Formatting your manuscript into a professional book is smoother—and cheaper—when the file you provide is clean. Many new authors unknowingly make small mistakes in their manuscripts that cause big headaches later. Here are the most common issues I see, along with how to fix them before handing your book off for formatting.

1. Using Tabs or Spaces for Indents

  • The Mistake: Hitting the tab key or adding multiple spaces at the start of each paragraph.
  • The Fix: Use Word’s paragraph settings instead. Set a first-line indent (usually 0.3–0.5 inches). This keeps indents consistent across the entire document.

2. Inconsistent Chapter Headings

  • The Mistake: Manually styling chapter titles by bolding or resizing the font.
  • The Fix: Use Heading styles (Heading 1 for chapters, Heading 2 for sub-sections). Consistency ensures your chapters are recognized properly during formatting.

3. Extra Blank Lines Between Paragraphs

  • The Mistake: Adding blank lines to create space, or hitting enter multiple times between sections.
  • The Fix: Keep paragraphs single-spaced with proper indentation. Only add intentional spacing for scene breaks—and use a clear marker like *** or ### so it’s obvious.

4. Multiple Spaces After Periods

  • The Mistake: Adding two spaces after every sentence.
  • The Fix: Do a quick “Find and Replace” to replace double spaces with a single space throughout.

5. Hard Returns at Page Breaks

  • The Mistake: Pressing enter repeatedly to push a chapter to a new page.
  • The Fix: Insert a proper Page Break at the end of each chapter.

6. Low-Quality Images

  • The Mistake: Inserting low-resolution or web-sized images (72 DPI), which look blurry in print.
  • The Fix: Always use the highest-quality image available—preferably 300 DPI JPGs or PNGs. If you don’t have high-res images, consider replacing them or getting professional versions made. Never copy and paste images directly from the internet.

7. Random Fonts and Styling

  • The Mistake: Mixing fonts, changing sizes randomly, or adding decorative text effects.
  • The Fix: Stick to a single, standard font (like Times New Roman, 12pt). Use italics and bold sparingly.

Wrapping Up

Clean manuscripts make for clean books. By fixing these common mistakes—especially tabs, headings, page breaks, and image resolution—you’ll save yourself time, money, and frustration. The goal is a manuscript that’s consistent, simple, and ready to be transformed into a professional book.