Tune up your own manuscript
Here are some easy do-it-yourself projects for nonfiction book manuscripts.
Your table of contents: 5 easy steps to make it look more professional
1. Your book does
have a table of contents, right? If not, create one right now. It's an
important marketing tool because it quickly gives people an idea of what your book
is about and how it's organized. It doesn't have to be fancy. Just list the
chapter numbers with the chapter titles exactly as they appear in the text. If
the book is divided into parts, list those too with the chapters within each
part listed underneath. (By the way, they're called "parts," not
"sections.")
2. Delete "Table
of" at the top of the page. Many authors don't know that the page should
be headed simply "Contents," but now you do. Think of it this way: we
call it the "about the author page," but the head is "About the
Author," not "About the Author Page." 3. Take out the
"leader dots," the string of periods between the chapter title and
the page number, like this: Chapter 1 The Adventure
Begins..............................7 If you check a well-produced book, you'll see that no one
uses leader dots anymore. Maybe they never did, except on term papers. 4. While you're at
it, delete the page numbers too. The page numbers will change many times before
the book is finished. If you must put something to hold the place, the
professional way is to use three zeroes (000). That's how you should refer to
page numbers in the text too ("See page 000.") 5. Double-space the
table of contents. In fact, double-space the whole book, even the endnotes (you
are using endnotes and not footnotes, right?).
Words to watch out for
Stay away from "literally." We often use it in
speech for extra emphasis, but if you're not careful, the results can look
silly in print. For example, a History Channel special about Howard Hughes meant
that he closely questioned some experts, but what it said was, "He
literally picked their brains." Sounds like something Hannibal Lector
would do. Be warned that readers are on the lookout for misuse of this word.
Watch out for "obviously." It may be obvious to you, but you're the expert. You don't want to sound like you're showing off.
Pronouns
Keep an eye on pronouns. "I" is used sparingly in nonfiction because the focus needs to be on the reader, "you." "We" is okay and so is the third person ("he," "she," "they"). But stick to one type of pronoun per paragraph.
Having trouble with awkward phrases like "he or she"? Try switching to the plural.
- Instead of this: "A doctor needs to tell his or her patient that he or she should exercise more."
- Try this: "Doctors need to tell their patients to exercise more."
Ready? Contact me for a free, no-obligation estimate. Together, we'll choose the next step that's right for your project.