Brainstorm ideas for your book and write them down in a notebook or create a new Word document. Refer back to your notebook or document to maintain inspiration, remember an idea, or write down a new one. The format of ideas is not important, you can create a list, use bullet points, or just write down random thoughts. Ideas do not have to be in sentence form.
Decide what type of book you are writing (fiction, non-fiction, memoir, etc.) and familiarize yourself with the parts of a manuscript (an unpublished document). According to the Chicago Manual of Style, standard manuscripts intended for submission must include a title page, table of contents, preliminary pages (preface, dedication, or epigraph), and the text. Additional requirements for non-fiction books include tables and illustrations, if any, author's notes or footnotes, and all final pages (bibliography or works cited, author's note, epilogue, etc.) You are not required to put together an index; this is done after the manuscript has been edited.
Create a blank document in Word and from the "File" menu select "Save As." Once the "Save" screen pops up, click the "New Folder" button. Name the folder the same title as your book and save all materials affiliated with your manuscript to this folder. Microsoft Word tends to save documents alphabetically, by date, or by size; having a designated folder for your book will save you time and frustration when looking for particular chapters. Create sub-folders within the main folder if you want a more detailed outline of your manuscript.
Keep the format of each chapter simple. Manually format the first page by centering the title of your chapter or the number of the chapter at the top of the page. Do not change the margins unless they are specified differently in a submission guideline. Use the same format for all of your chapters to give your manuscript a clean, organized feel. Choose a simple font and double-space all of your writing. This will make the proofreading process easier. Most editors do not accept submissions that are single-spaced and do not appreciate fancy fonts or personalized formatting.
Start writing. Organize your work by saving each chapter as a separate document. It will be easier to make changes or find specific entries if your chapters are separated and saved to the appropriate folders.
Revise in-progress or finished documents by completing a spell check. Correct any spelling errors. If you want to make significant changes to any part of your manuscript, open the document you wish to edit, select "Save As," and save the document under a similar name. For example, "Chapter One" might be renamed "Chapter One Revision." Don't save over your original writing; you might use it later.
Finish writing your manuscript. Choose the order of your chapters and combine them into one manuscript by copying each chapter and pasting them into one document. Save the whole manuscript as a separate document. Add page numbers to your manuscript by selecting "Insert" and clicking "Page Numbers." From the page numbers screen, select where you want the page numbers to appear on the page and click "OK."
Decide whether or not your manuscript needs a table of contents. Many fiction books do not have one. To create a table of contents, highlight the title of your first chapter. Under "Format" select "Styles" and choose a heading style. Repeat these steps for all chapters. Create a blank page. Click on "Insert" and from the drop-down menu choose "Document Elements" and select "Table of Contents." Another option is to create the table of contents manually. Type the name of each chapter in order. Next to each chapter type the page number on which it begins.
Create a title page. Add any preliminary or end pages as needed.
Perform a final revision on your manuscript. Check the spelling. Read aloud for any inconsistencies in voice or style. Have another person read your manuscript and look for any errors that you might have missed. Decide whether or not your manuscript is ready for submission.