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How To Write a Book With Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is high on the list of the world's word processors of choice. When it comes to writing a book, Microsoft Word can serve your needs from formatting your work at the beginning until your manuscript is ready for publication in a read-only file. Word has many helpful features such as a thesaurus, citations & bibliography, and the ability to present editing commentaries under the "Review" tab.

Things You'll Need

  • Microsoft Word 2007
  • Style guide such as MLA, Chicago Manual, or APA.
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine the appropriate format for your book by researching manuscript formatting choices suited to the type of book you’re writing. According to Writing World, most editors look for manuscripts to be double-spaced, in a standard, easy-to-read font, such as Times New Roman or Calibri, in 12-point font size, with paragraphs indented and 1-inch margins placed all around the page. Have a running header at the top with your last name, the book’s title, and the page number. If you’ll be self-publishing, look at the formatting guidelines on the website of where you’ll be publishing your work.

    • 2

      Set up your book document in Microsoft Word. Under "Home" choose the font and font size. Under the "Insert" tab insert your header with the page number. You can set up 1-inch margins under the "Page Layout" tab.

    • 3

      Type your manuscript using the various Microsoft Word tools and saving your work often. For example, you can protect your document under “Protect Document” in the "Review" tab by creating a password that only you know. Do not lose your password as there is no way to retrieve it should you forget it. You can insert footnotes, citations, and tables of figures under the "References" tab. Optimize your choice of words with the thesaurus under the Review tab.

    • 4

      Cite your book, if you’re writing a non-fiction work. Under the "Reference" tab, you can choose a citation style, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago Manual, and you can insert a bibliography with your sources.

    • 5

      Edit your manuscript using the "Review" tab. You can use the "Spelling & Grammar Check" feature under this tab to make sure your book is free of spelling and usage errors. You can highlight in red and comment on certain passages by clicking on “New Comment.” This feature is convenient if someone else is editing your manuscript. You can choose to “Reject” or “Accept” the changes they suggest.

    • 6

      Save your final work in a read-only file. For example, you can go to “Save As” to save your document as a PDF or XPS file. There are also free online document converters such as cutepdf.com.

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