Format your manuscript using desktop publishing software and a book template. Most publishing software has built-in book templates to make it easier to format your book. Select the font, font size and leading (space between lines) that you want and use justified lines. Justified lines are when the left and right sides of the text line up.
Format your book to fit on standard 8 1/2-by-11-inch paper. Most commercial books are smaller than this paper size. When you format using a book template you will select from the standard finished book sizes or you can create a custom template for unusual size books. Some templates will print out cut marks indicating where the page should be cut during your finishing process. These marks should be outside the size area of the book.
Check your format by looking at each page. Your pages should have page numbers and titles in the header or footer section of the template. Each chapter should start on a fresh page. Many chapters start only on right-facing pages and so you may have a blank page at the end of a chapter. Include all title, copyright, index, content, acknowledgment and other extra pages in your final layout.
Print out a typical page on both sides. Hold the page up to the light to make sure that the text block on each side lines up and that your page numbers are lined up. Check to be sure that your final cut size will be correct and match the published book size. Keep in mind that binding side margins may be wider than edge margins in order to accommodate the binding and readability of the book.
Print out a copy of the entire galley. Check each page for correct pagination, format and problems. Look for orphans. An orphan is a situation where one word or line is printed on a page and the rest is blank. When possible, make slight adjustments to earlier pages to remove the orphan. This typesetting issue is occasionally resolved by reducing tab spacing slightly for indents or by adjusting the leading.
Make a print of the corrected and finished galley because many reviewers will read the advance reading copy (ARC) to review or sometimes offer a cover blurb for the actual publishing run. For this reason you want your copy to be the best possible sample of the book. Print out a cover on light card stock with the name of the book and author in a simple type face.
Take a sample right-facing page and draw the cut margins on the page. Cut the galley in a larger paper cutter that can cut several hundred pages at once. Photocopy stores and printing companies have this type of cutter available. Cut the cover to fit. Position the cover on the galley. Punch or bind the left side of the galley.